Qass 




- 



Book y 7w 



INDIAN 
MISSIONS IN GUIANA. 



BY 

THE EEY, W. H. BRETT, 

MISSIONARY IN CONNEXION WITH THE SOCIETY FOR THE 
PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL. 




LONDON : GEORGE BELL, 186, ELEET STREET. 
1851. 



1 



TO THE 

REV. ERNEST HAWKINS, B.D. 

SECRETARY TO THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL 
EM FOREIGN PARTS. 



My dear Sift, 

The following work, undertaken at your 
request, contains an account of our Missions 
among the various Indian tribes of Guiana, 
from the year of their commencement until the 
present time. 

Having been the first of the Society's Mission- 
aries exclusively engaged in the work of con- 
version of the Indians in that country, a great 
portion of the narrative is merely a description of 
the things which I have heard, seen, or ex- 
perienced; with other information supplied by 
my fellow-labourers in that portion of the Lord's 
vineyard. 

I have also endeavoured to afford such addi- 
tional information as may give a general though 
imperfect idea of the progress of the Gospel of 
our Lord Jesus Christ in that part of the 
world, and show the arduous work that is still 
before us. 

b 



IT 



PREFACE. 



An attempt has also been made to describe 
tlie appearance, customs, and habits of the 
Indians and other races ; and the nature of the 
country which they inhabit. 

May the blessing of the Great Head of the 
Church ever accompany all her endeavours to 
extend the knowledge of salvation through his 
glorious Name, among distant and barbarous 
nations. 

I remain. 

my dear Sir, 
Your's very faithfully. 

W. H. Brett, 



Etwall, April 14. 1851. 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

THE COAST AND ITS POPULATION. 

Situation and extent of our Colony — The Coast— Scene in George- 
town — Various Races — The Negroes— Their former progress— Obia 
superstitions — Immigrants— The Portuguese — The Coolies: their 
appearance, and costume — Habits — Idolatrous festivals — Barbarous 
spectacle— Interviews with them ; their want of feeling— Examples 
—Review 1 



CHAPTER H. 

THE INTERIOR AND ITS INHABITANTS. 

Britain, God's chosen instrument in propagating the Gospel — Abori- 
ginal inhabitants of America superseded in the public attention by 
the natives of Polynesia — Acquisition of three colonies in Guiana — 
Sketch of the Interior— A day in the Eorest : its productions and 
scenery ; Birds, Insects, Reptiles, and Quadrupeds— Indians : their 
persons, costume, food, habitations, canoes, and way of life described 
—The Gospel the only civilizing power. 26 



CHAPTER III. 

MISSIONS TO THE INDIAN TRIBES. 

Indian Superstitions — Opinions respecting Guiana — El Dorado— Eirst 
Colonists — Their contests with the Indians— Afterwards nse their 
help against the Maroon Negroes — the Moravians — Present 
Missions — Various Tribes— Eate of the Mission to the Macusis. . 54 



vi 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE INDIAN MISSION ON THE FOMEROON. 

Situation— Causes which led to the foundation of the Mission— First 
residence of the Missionary— Unsuccessful efforts among the 
Waraus and Arawaks— First converts — Yisit to the Chief and 
settlements of the Arawaks— Its results — Sickness of the Mission- 
ary — Progress of the Gospel .68 



CHAPTER Y. 

THE ARAWAKS. 

Their character— "Weapons — Name— Division of families — Marriage 
customs— Polygamy— Birth and rearing of children— Paiwari feasts 
—Funeral customs— Chiefs — Law of retaliation — Melancholy event 
— Progress of the Mission— Improvement in the people — Baptism — 
Mode of instruction— Indian astronomy— Use of pictures— Manners 
of school children— Prayer in the native language — Death of Mr. 
Duke— Yisit to the Akawini lake 96 



CHAPTER VI, 

THE CARIBS. 

Account of the writer's first visit to the country of the Caribs — Their 
costume and appearance — Attendance at the Mission— Their national 
character and customs — A glance at their condition and habits 
during the last century — Their cruel wars — Ancient Chiefs — 
Assistance to the Colonists in 1763— Cannibalism— Favourable 
change . 118 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE WACAWOIOS. 

Journey through the Caribi country to a Wacawoio settlement — 
Reception and results of the visit— Description of the Wacawoios — 
Their persons, ornaments, and treacherous character — The blow- 
pipe and worali, or arrow poison — The haiarri, and method of 



CONTEXTS. Yll 

poisoning fish — Their roving disposition, and long journeys for 
traffic and plunder — The small-pox — State of the Indian Mission in 
1842 135 



CHAPTER VIII. 

t:ie lower district of pomeroon. 

Nature of the District — Missionary Expedition to the Manawarin and 
Wakapoa ; its results — Maquarri dance of the Arawaks— Difficulties 
among these people— Better prospects — Carihs in Manawarin erect 
a rude place of worship — Attendance at Caledonia 149 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE WARAUS. 

Visit of Irai, the Caribi chief — The Bishop of Guiana visits the 
Missions— Removal of the Upper Mission to the Hill — Character and 
habits of the Waraus — Unsuccessful efforts among them — Surprising 
change— Another Mission for their benefit commenced— Mr. Nowers 
appointed — Exertions of the Post-holder and the Indians. . . 165 



CHAPTER X. 

THE INDIAN MISSION AT WARAMTJRI. 

Conversation with an old Warau— Erection of the Mission Buildings — 
Sickness of Missionaries— Extraordinary Imposture— Long drought 
— Waramuri Mission nearly destroyed by fire— Eamine — Mortality 
by Dysentery — Progress of the Mission — Distant Indians desire a 
Teacher 183 



CHAPTER XI. 

TRIALS. 



Sickness and death in the Mission family — Temporary abandonment 
of Waramuri— Dangerous passage across the sea— The Pomeroon 



viii 



CONTENTS. 



Mission-— Extraordinary circumstance — Panic among the Caribs — 
Flourishing state of the Mission — Abandoned for a time — Faithful- 
ness of the Arawaks — The Bishop's visit — Waramuri and Pomeroon 
again supplied with teachers 196 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE ARUABISI COAST. 

Situation of the Ituribisi — Its Inhabitants— Efforts of the Rector of 
St. John's for their conversion — Success — Account of the Mission 
at his residence— The Capoue, Quacabuca, and Tapacuma lakes- 
Account of the Indians residing in that neighbourhood. . . 211 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE MAHAICONI MISSION. 

Situation of the Mahaiconi — The Bishop's visit to the Mahaica, 
and its result — Visit to the Mahaiconi — Indian Assembly, and 
Maquarri Dance — Establishment of the Mission — Its subsequent 
history 219 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE CHARACTER, HABITS, AND SUPERSTITIONS OE THE INDIANS. 

Their indolence and apathy— Acute observation — Habits, Hospitality 
&c. — Drunkenness — Polygamy — Revenge — Superstitions — TheYau- 
hahu or Demons — The system of sorcery or Piai-ism — Anecdotes — 
The Orehu, her qualities — Indian Tradition 229 



CHAPTER XV. 

DIEETCULTIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

The various Languages spoken by the Indian Tribes — Examples and 
Remarks — Other difficulties — Unhealthiness of some of the River 
Districts — Second abandonment of Warimuri ...... 252 



CONTENTS, 



ix 



CHAPTER XVI. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

Outward Change in the Indians— Attention to Religious Services — 
Their Dwellings, Industry, Clothing, &c— Respectable appearance 
of Christian Indian Congregations — Comfort afforded by the 
Christian Religion to the Sick and Dying — The Burial-Ground — 
Amelioration in the condition of the female Sex — Indian Marriage 
feast — The Rattles of the Sorcerers given up — Condition of our 
Missions at the close of 1850 260 



CHAPTER XVII. 

EARLY HISTORY X~SD TRADITIONS OE THE INDIANS. 

Difficulty of tracing the Origin of the barbarous Tribes of America — 
The Macusis — The Waraus — Early Accounts of the Caribs — Their 
Discovery in the Islands— Supposed Origin — The YTacawoios — The 
Arawaks — Accounts of early Discoverers— Traditions of that Tribe 
— Of the Spaniards — Of their Contests with the Caribs— Struggles 
of Indians with the early Colonists, and with the revolted Negroes 
— Present blessings. . . ... ......... . . . . 274 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE REMAINING* HEATHEN TRIBES. 

Diminution of the numbers of the Indian Tribes — Their probable 
Fate— Their readiness to embrace the Religion of Christ— En- 
couragement to extend the Sphere of Labour — Suggestions — 
Heathen Tribes enumerated by Sir R. Schomburgk — Possible 
Benefit which they might derive in course of years from the Con- 
version of the Macusis 29o 



ILLUSTBATIONS. 

Costume, Weapons, and Implements of the Indian Tribes of 

Guiana . . . e Frontispiece 

Jaguar Yignzite Title-page 

Indian Snake-Catcher Page 36 S 

Map 60 V 

The Cokarito Palm 112 -* 

-Mission Chapel, Pomeroon, 1843 147 

Maquarri Dance 157 ' 

Caribi Encampment on the Upper Pomeroon . 169 

Waramuri Mission in 1846 187 

Assembly of Arawaks at Mahaiconi, 1844 ........ 223 

Indian Sorcerer 244 * 

Indian Mission at the Hill, Pomeroon, 1846 272 j 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



♦— 

CHAPTER I. 

THE COAST AXD ITS POPULATION. 

Situation and extent of our Colony — The Coast — Scene in George- 
town — Various Races — The Negroes — Their former progress — Obia 
superstitions — Immigrants — The Portuguese — The Coolies : their 
appearance and costume Habits — Idolatrous festivals — Barbarous 
spectacle— Interviews with them ; their want of feeling — Examples 
— Review. 

Guiana is an extensive country, comprising the 
north-eastern part of South America. It is situated 
between two of the largest rivers in the world, the 
Amazon and the Orinoco. That portion of it which 
is possessed by the British lies to the westward of 
the Corentyn ; which divides it from Dutch Guiana, 
or Surinam. - It is very extensive, containing the 
counties of Demerara, Essequibo^&nd Berbice ; and 
its boundaries, as claimed by our £mim<nment, include 
an area of 76,000 square miles. ~hich w 

This is a surface of much greatermd othohan that 
of England and Wales; but its popud a lis most 
scanty as compared with its size and . for tl^s. It 
is only a narrow strip of low land, the refr the 
alluvial flat which forms the coast of th h< itry, 

B 



2 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



that is in cultivation or at all thickly inhabited. 
This being low and level, appears very uninteresting 
when viewed from the sea. It is, however, laid out 
in beautiful plantations of sugar, coffee, plantains, 
and other provisions, which are produced in great 
abundance by the rich alluvial soil and tropical 
climate. No regular attempt has been made by the 
British to settle in the distant interior, the wide 
extent of which is as yet unoccupied, except by a 
thinly scattered population of the aboriginal natives. 

Georgetown, the capital, presents a lively appear- 
ance. It is situated at the mouth of the river De- 
merara, on its eastern bank. Its streets are mostly 
wide, and traversed by canals or drains. The houses, 
which are of wood, are painted, and have verandahs ; 
and are rendered pleasant by gardens, and the cocoa- 
nut and cabbage-palm trees which surround them. 
These stately trees, being mingled with the buildings 
of the city, give it a pleasing appearance, when viewed 
from an elevated position. 

In the streets of Georgetown many a busy, motley 
group may be seen, composed of men, women, and 
children, of every shade of colour, and presenting 
a spectacle of grea interest to a stranger from Eng- 
land, who ma hold the native American sur- 
rounded by 3 from Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
He may t> lis own countrymen, either planters 
or engag merchandise. The Portuguese emi- 
grants ft Madeira, who are generally hucksters or 
petty ti .rs, are there seen toiling beneath the hot 
sun, ber .ing a large canister of goods on one shoulder, 



ABORIGINES, 



supported by a staff across the other — a hardwork- 
ing and abstemious race. Hindoos from the East 
Indies are also there, brought to assist in the culti- 
vation of the soil \ the Coolies from Calcutta, and 
their darker skinned brethren from Madras. These 
people often possess fine countenances, and slight 
well-made figures ; their showv oriental clothing 
generally of white muslin, calico, or scarlet cloth, 
with turbans or small ornamented skull-caps for 
the head, forming a lively portion of the scene. 
But by far the most numerous class are the negroes, 
who form the great bulk of the labouring popula- 
tion, and considerably outnumber all the other races 
put together. 

While gazing upon the busy scene, the stranger's 
attention may be arrested by a group differing in 
many respects from the others. By the bright copper 
tint of their skins, their long, glossy, straight, black 
hair, and, too frequently, by their very scanty 
clothing, may be recognised the Aborigines of the 
country. They usually bear in their hands little 
articles of their own manufacture for sale, such as 
small baskets of various shapes, bows and arrows, 
models of canoes and Indian houses, &c. Frequently 
parrots, monkeys, and other animals are added to 
their little stock, the price of which will supply the 
family with axes, cutlasses, hoes, and other necessary 
implements ; with perhaps a gun, and a few articles 
of clothing of European manufacture for the ensuing 
year — if indeed the elder ones can refrain from 
chinking rum, the bane and destroyer of their race. 



4 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



From the manner of these children of the wilder- 
ness it is easy to perceive that they are more or less 
strangers to the habits of civilized life. The young 
ones stare around them, and seem bewildered by the 
various objects which meet their gaze. Their home is 
in the vast forest, and on the banks of some one of 
the rivers which intersect the interior of the country. 
They sometimes visit the coast and the town, but 
only for the purpose of procuring the articles before 
mentioned • after which they retire to their abode 
in the forest until necessitated to seek a fresh 
supply. 

It is the principal object of the following pages to 
describe some of the efforts which have been made 
for the conversion of these Indians from heathenism 
to Christianity • to represent their present condition, 
both temporal and spiritual, and to give an idea of 
their habits and way of life ; and also of the nature 
of missionary labour among them, as far as the per- 
sonal experience of the writer and his brethren in 
this interesting work will allow. 

Before, however, quitting the coast of Guiana, and 
entering on any description of the interior, it may 
not be uninteresting to give a brief view of the pre- 
sent state of the different races, which, as was before 
observed, occupy the cultivated part of the country. 
It will be at once easily surmised that the position 
of a clergyman, in the midst of a population so 
varied, must be one of great labour and difficulty. 
It is, in fact, (except in the matter of personal priva- 
tion,) quite as arduous, and more unsatisfactory, than 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE NEGROES. 



5 



that of the Missionary among the Indian tribes of 
the interior. 

The Negroes of this, and of the other West Indian 
Colonies, were, as is well known, formerly in a state 
of slavery. They were originally brought from 
Africa, and were of various heathen nations. By the 
noble measure of the Emancipation they became, on 
the 1st of August, 1834, apprenticed labourers. This 
apprenticeship ceased in August 1838, since which 
time they have enjoyed the blessings of complete 
freedom. 

Considerable care was taken that they should 
receive instruction in the duties of religion • and 
provision was made for that purpose by the liberality 
of the colonists, their employers, with assistance from 
England. Parishes were formed, churches, chapels, 
and schools built along the line of coast, and zealous 
ministers appointed to labour among them. 

These efforts for their real good were well seconded 
by the people themselves. Their improvement was 
rapid \ and the willingness with which they came 
forward with large sums of money for religious pur- 
poses, deserves the highest praise. High hopes for 
their future well doing were confidently entertained 
by their best friends, which cannot be better ex- 
pressed than in the eloquent language of the excellent 
and lamented Bishop Coleridge, who after noticing, 
in a charge to the clergy of Guiana in 1839, the eager 
liberality with which they came forward to assist in 
the erection of places of worship, thus speaks : — 

" When the labouring classes of any community 



6 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



can lay by so largely, and spend their earnings so 
holily and usefully,' there must be a spirit working 
within them, which, under judicious and affectionate 
guidance, will settle down into a habit of contented 
and steady industry." 

Few things have been more pleasing, than to see 
on the Sunday morning the black population 
issuing from the avenues of cocoa-nut or palm-trees 
on the different plantations, and bending their way 
along the public road to the house of God, to 
worship Him whom they justly regard as the author 
of their freedom. Many pleasing instances of 
Christian feeling, liberality, resignation in sickness, 
and happy death-beds, might be adduced, as 
showing the fruits of the Gospel among them. 
They exhibited, in most cases, both anxiety to re- 
ceive Christian instruction, and a regard for those 
who faithfully laboured among them. 

How encouraging, for instance, is the fact related 
to me by a brother clergyman, (one of the Society's 
Missionaries,) of the members of a small congrega- 
tion contributing 250 dollars for the enlargement 
and repairing of the dwelling of their teacher • and 
also purchasing a horse for his use, to save him the 
fatigue of walking some miles to visit the sick in 
that exhausting climate. Instances of this kind 
might easily be multiplied to a considerable extent. 1 

1 My informant also mentioned, as an instance of attachment, that 
on one occasion returning from duty later in the evening than usual, 
through an abandoned plantation, overgrown with low bush, and 
much infested at night with the jaguars or panthers of the country, 
(called there tigers,) he was followed by an elderly negro, named 



NEGRO SUPERSTITIONS. 



7 



Notwithstanding these pleasing circumstances, it 
must not be concealed that the advancement of the 
mass of the people has not equalled the expectations 
which were formed by their best friends. Some of 
the causes of this may be briefly stated, without 
seeking to excuse the negroes in the least where they 
are justly blameable. 

To form a correct view, it is necessary first to 
consider the condition and habits of the negroes 
themselves. Many of them were Africans, thoroughly 
imbued with all the superstitions of their native 
country. Their children were also equally infected 
with them. Indeed, while the Christian religion 
was withheld from them, they had nothing but 
these superstitions to rest upon ; and they were con- 
sequently deeply rooted, and retain an influence on 
the minds even of those who are now professedly 
Christians. 

An instance of this is seen in their superstitious 
veneration for the silk-cotton-tree. Many of them 
would on no account cut it down, believing that 
death would be the consequence. In the days of 
slavery, offerings were presented to some of these 
trees. It has been said that their forefathers were 
accustomed to meet under them to consult their 
priests, and to perform their superstitious ceremo- 

Cesar, who, it seems, had entertained some degree of apprehension for 
his safety, and had carefully watched him, without his being aware of 
it, until he arrived at his house ; when he heard a voice exclaiming, 
" You are safe now, good-night ; " and looking round, saw the retiring 
figure of his faithful attendant. 



s 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



nies ; and hence they became invested with a sacred 
character. 1 

But many of the superstitions of Obia, or negro 
witchcraft, are of a dark and malignant nature. The 
Gospel drove these abominations into obscure corners, 
but they were still practised in secret, and are be- 
lieved in by many of the people. 

I once attended an aged female, lying, as she 
thought, at the point of death, who confessed that 
she had " worked " a charm to cause the death of 
some unknown person who had stolen her fowls. 
This charm consisted in pounding certain herbs in a 
wooden mortar for nine days, with magical incanta- 
tions. I have also heard among the negroes of the 
rivers, of women obstinately attributing the deaths 
of their children to others, whom they accused of 
having destroyed them, and confined their souls in 
bottles. These monstrous and absurd ideas, too la- 
mentable for ridicule, will show, in some measure, 
the nature of the superstitions which still darken 
the minds of many ; but will hardly appear sur- 
prising to those who consider the popular ideas of 
witchcraft formerly so prevalent, and still lingering 
in our own country. 

In addition to these innate superstitions, there 
have been powerful external causes working for a 

1 The silk-cotton is a large and handsome tree, growing to a con- 
siderable height and thickness : it is very straight, and covered with a 
strong, grey, prickly bark. Its trunk is free from branches to a con- 
siderable height. It sheds its leaves annually, and produces the silk- 
cotton every three years. 



HIXDOO IMMIGRANTS. 



9 



long period, to check the advancement of the black 
population of British Guiana. 

After the emancipation, much less labour was 
performed b j them than under the system of slavery. 
This was, of course, anticipated, but the falling off 
far exceeded the expectation. To remedy the serious 
loss to the estates, labourers were eagerly sought in 
other lands, and brought from every country where 
it was possible to procure them. Many of these 
were from Barbados, and the other islands, and gene- 
rally of the worst class of people, whose example 
has greatly influenced the young. The well-disposed 
negroes would often complain of the injuries done 
by these immigrants, who have generally been fore- 
most in every mischief since their introduction. 

Thousands of Hindoos were also brought in, whose 
idolatrous ceremonies have been publicly performed. 
Some of these will be described, and must be seen 
to be of a nature calculated to produce an ill im- 
pression on the minds of people in a semi-barba- 
rous state. The introduction of numerous bodies of 
Portuguese increased the evil which diversity of 
religion always must occasion. 

While matters were gradually assuming an un- 
pleasant appearance in the colony, a sort of crisis 
was produced by measures which increased the 
wealth of the foreign slave-holder, and gave an 
additional impulse to the slave trade * while they 
ruined many proprietors of West Indian property, 
and occasioned pressure and discontent among all 
classes in the colony. 



10 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



The negroes, unwilling or unable to understand 
that their employers were compelled to reduce their 
wages, and many of them listening to designing 
men, who persuaded them that if they yielded they 
would gradually be brought again to their former 
state of slavery, gave up work for a time ; the baser 
sort resorting to theft for subsistence, and to in- 
cendiary practices for revenge. 

In the unsettled state of things in the beginning 
of 1849, impostors took occasion to revive the 
system of Obia, and carry it on to a degree which 
a short time before would have seemed utterly in- 
credible. It is impossible to describe the abominable 
dances which are said to have taken place. Although 
most of the negroes express great horror at these 
things, yet being influenced both by superstition 
and fear, as the Obia people are said to be ex- 
pert poisoners, few dared to complain to the 
authorities, unless they had received a grievous 
injury from them. Some of the ringleaders 
were apprehended, but the practices still con- 
tinued. 

At the time when every thing called for the utmost 
exertion, the Church's strength was curtailed by the 
■withdrawal of a great portion of the support for- 
merly granted for religious and educational purposes 
by the Colonial legislature, which felt itself com- 
pelled by the pressure of the times to reduce its 
former liberal allowance. In very large and popu- 
lous parishes (some containing five or six places of 
worship), the rectors had not the assistance of a 



PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANTS. 



11 



single curate. 1 Education became much neglected. 
These circumstances have been attended with the 
greatest detriment to the black people, which must 
also prove inpuious to others ; for the comfort and 
welfare of the whole community depend on the 
advancement of Christian principles among them. 
There can be no return to a former condition. 

The Portuguese immigrants may be briefly de- 
scribed. Though brought from Madeira to Guiana 
for the purpose of agricultural labour, they manage 
to escape from that as soon as possible ; and, being 
a money-making people, soon contrive to set up in 
business for themselves in small stores for the sale of 
spirits, (fee. Those who cannot attain to this position, 
become hucksters and pedlars, and their itinerant 
groups may be met with all over the country, each 
man bearing a heavy canister or package containing 
his goods. I have frequently seen them arrive in 
canoes at our Indian missions for the purposes of 
traffic. 

Most of them were of course Eoman Catholics, 
and priests of their own denomination have been 
provided j though many pay little attention to their 
Church, and infinitely less to the requirements of 
the Gospel, of which they are, indeed, grossly ig- 
norant. 

There are, however, some Protestants among them, 
and we hope that the number will greatly increase. 
I have seen these read the Portuguese New Testa- 

1 The parishes of St. John and the Holy Trinity, Essequibo, are 
instances. 



12 



BRTTISH GU1AXA. 



ment with great reverence and attention; and I 
was once much struck with the circumstance of 
meeting a Protestant Portuguese female engaged 
alone in voluntary attendance on a poor negro 
woman, whose brutal husband had left her, though 
at the point of death. This and other instances 
show that many of the Portuguese are very well 
disposed, and though their pursuits are certainly 
most unfavourable to godliness, yet much good may 
be done among them. 

The Coolies from Hindostan next demand our 
attention. Many thousands of these have been 
brought from the presidencies of Calcutta and 
Madras, the natives of which differ from each other 
in dialect and also in colour ; the former being of a 
deep tawny hue, while the latter are nearly black. 
Few of them possessed a knowledge of Christ, they 
being unhappily, almost without exception, followers 
of the superstitions of the Brahmins or of the false 
prophet Mohammed. 

The general appearance of these people is very 
picturesque. When not at work, they usually wear 
a close vest of thin calico, with sleeves, and some- 
times ornamented, while a long cloth is wrapped 
round their loins, which they gird up tightly when 
setting forth on a journey. The dress of the few 
women who have been brought over does not differ 
greatly from that of the men. They generally wear 
in addition a large cloth or veil, in which they 
envelop the head. They are fond of ornament, and 
those who can afford it wear massive silver rings both 



COOLIES. 



13 



on their wrists and ankles. The feet of both sexes 
are bare, or shod with rude sandals, which, with the 
girdle, earrings, ornaments for the nose, &c, forcibly 
remind the beholder of the representations of Scrip- 
ture. 

The sugar estates on which the people are located 
assume quite an oriental appearance, from the groups 
which may be seen on the banks of the canals 
washing their robes and other articles of finery, or 
scouring the brazen vessels from which they eat their 
rice and milk, and which they take pride in bringing 
to the highest degree of brightness. They do not, 
however, carry their cleanliness in other respects to 
a very high pitch, their dwellings being often very 
offensive ; nor can we boast of their temperance, it 
being a not unfrequent occurrence, to find a man, 
totally insensible from drunkenness, lying by the 
side of the road ; the long tuft of black hair streaming 
from his otherwise shaven head is, in such cases, apt 
to startle the horses of those that pass by. 

Parties of from five to thirty of these people in 
their holiday attire may be met with, going to visit 
their friends, and arrange the preparations for some 
festival. But however interesting their appearance 
may be, it is impossible for the Christian to avoid 
the reflection, that they are of a race involved in the 
deepest and most awful bondage to Satan. They 
bear the distinguishing marks of the idols whom 
they serve upon their foreheads. These are traced 
in different shapes and colours, according to the sect 
to which they belong. 



14 BKITISH GUIANA. 

Though separated by a voyage of many thousands 
of miles from their ancient temples and the spots 
which have been defiled for ages by their idolatrous 
worship, they nevertheless have done their best to 
keep up the ceremonies to which they have been 
accustomed, — to create for themselves a Hindostan 
on the shores of Gniana. I will endeavour to 
describe an evening scene which I have witnessed 
more than once. 

Let the reader place himself in imagination in 
front of one of the estates in Essequibo, on the 
evening of the full moon at the beginning of the 
year. The plantation may be one of those fast 
verging to abandonment ; but all will look beautiful 
in the moonlight, which is not strong enough to 
show the tokens of disorder and decay. Innumerable 
fireflies are flitting like sparks of fire amongst the 
rank vegetation. The more steady negroes are re- 
tiring to their cottages, and Coolies may be seen 
hastening by, with a quick step and their usual 
courteous ^salaam." They are going to join the 
procession of their countrymen, whose shouts may 
be heard from time to time, accompanied by the 
monotonous beating of the tom-toms or drums ; and 
soon the glare of numerous torches becomes visible 
beneath the dark trees which border the road. 

As the procession approaches, the eye is struck by 
the multitude of people assembled around a tall 
pagoda, which is borne on the shoulders of many 
men by means of a frame resting on strong bamboos. 
This structure is chiefly composed of light wood, 



IDOL PROCESSION. 



15 



cloth, and coloured paper, put together with great 
ingenuity, and adorned with streamers and gilding, 
which give it a splendid appearance. It is the 
shrine of an image, which has been formed of clay 
procured with great ceremony from the banks of 
some stream in the neighbourhood a few days before. 
Some of these structures have a small image re- 
presenting a naked figure at each corner. 

The bearers stop at certain intervals, during which 
there is no want of amusement for the spectators. 
Some of the attendants of this idol assume the 
most fantastic appearance, their tawny bodies being- 
smeared or spotted with black or other colours, 
while they dance in the most grotesque manner, 
clattering sticks which they hold in each hand. 
Sometimes one personates a v> Ud man, who is held 
by others with a chain or rope. Sometimes a man 
appears dressed as a woman, and dances, to the great 
amusement of the spectators. But the most inte- 
resting part of the pageant consists of men dancing 
and nourishing swords, or several couples engaged 
in combat with mock swords and small targets, in 
the use of which they display all that agility and 
rapidity of motion which seems a distinguishing 
quality of their countrymen. 

While these performers are engaged in their dancing 
and other exercises, the whole assembled multitude 
continue a monotonous invocation, consisting of one 
or two words 1 addressed to the presiding deity, 

i TVhat an illustration of our Lord's warning. — "L'se not Tain 
repetitions, as the heathen do ! :5 



16 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



beating their breasts at the same time with their 
right hands. This is accompanied with the beating 
of tom-toms, and interrupted from time to time by 
the firing of guns and a loud shout, in which all 
join. The procession then moves on. 

It has been painful to behold such idolatrous 
spectacles in a country which before presented so 
goodly an aspect, and to witness such a scene imme- 
diately in front of a Christian church, where they 
generally make a stop for some time, as if in defiance 
of the cross, the truth and purity of whose doctrines 
will eventually overcome and destroy all their super- 
stitions. I have also seen crowds of young negroes 
following and joining in their invocatory cry and 
shout of applause, as loudly as the Hindoos them- 
selves. Undue importance should not be attached 
to this circumstance, for the mass of the negroes 
have no friendship for the Coolies, whom they regard 
with jealousy as interlopers; but notwithstanding it 
may be considered as a sign of the times. Every 
one knows that the frequent sight of idolatry will 
tend to diminish the abhorrence which at first sight 
it occasions, unless the heart be very carefully 
guarded. These things have not been done in a 
corner, but openly practised and allowed. No wonder, 
then, that ill-disposed negroes, who have hated 
Christianity on account of its purity and the re- 
straints which it has imposed upon their licentious 
desires, should have taken courage from what they 
saw around them to follow their own Obia practices 
.-■'•SS^tead. They could not see why they should be 



BARBAROUS SPECTACLE. 



17 



restrained or blamed for doing so ; nor is there, 
indeed, anything in Asiatic superstition preferable to 
that of Africa. 

Another Hindoo spectacle which may well excite 
our surprise in Guiana, though too common in 
India, is that of suspending their votaries by hooks 
fixed in their flesh, from one end of a long beam, 
which turns round by a pivot on an upright post, 
being moved by a rope fixed to the other end. 
This disgusting and demoralizing practice I have not 
myself witnessed, but have seen one of the hooks 
which had been thus made use of. 

The following account was sent in April, 18-50, by 
the schoolmaster of a district where this ceremony 
had not been previously performed. Speaking of 
the condition of the negroes, he says : — 

" The example of the idolatrous Hindoos brought 
among us cannot but be detrimental : even while I 
am now writing the poor infatuated creatures are 
practising their abominable cruelties of suspending 
their votaries by hooks driven into their backs below 
the ribs, from a circular swing forty feet from the 
ground, keeping them constantly in a rotatory motion 
for about ten minutes, amidst shouting and beating 
of druins, and all this openly in front of (Plantation) 
Affiance, while hundreds of our Creole population, 
neglecting work, are looking on and enjoying the 
horrid spectacle. This is no exaggerated picture, but 
their common practice.' 5 

Much might be said on this subject, but its demo- 
ralizing tendency cannot be disputed, and needs no 

o 



18 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



comment. Our object is not to make out a case, but 
to state simple facts as they have occurred. 

The Hindoos, when removed from their ancient 
temples, and the spiritual tyranny of the Brahmins, 
are much more favourably situated for receiving the 
truth than when in their own land. They are sharp 
and intelligent, and though they may be bigotted in 
favour of their own system of religion, or rather phi- 
losophy, yet their attachment to it is not insuperable 
when its absurdities and deficiencies are set before 
them. 

I once went with a friend to see some Coolies 
who were engaged in building one of those movable 
pagodas before mentioned, in a small enclosure, 
which we asked permission to enter. This was 
peremptorily refused j and we were given to under- 
stand that the shrine would be polluted by our near 
approach. Of course we immediately gave up the 
point ; but could not help begging the bystanders to 
turn from these follies, and serve the living and true 
God, who made heaven and earth. A Coolie from 
the crowd then stood forward, and said a great many 
things in ridicule of Christianity, and in praise of his 
own religion ; pointing to one of our chapel schools, 
which was visible at some distance, as a building 
more absurd than their pagoda. Finding that we 
were getting unintelligible to each other, our antago- 
nist, whose name was Ramlon Singh, desired us to 
follow him to the house of their interpreter, which 
we did. When taxed with the absurdity of worship- 
ping an image which their own hands had made, he 



CONTROVERSY WITH A COOLIE. 



19 



maintained that God was in it. He took refuge from 
the charge of worshipping many gods in their favo- 
rite pantheism, saying, that God was in all things, 
wood, water, etc. When the cruelty of their supersti- 
tions was alluded to, he said but little ; and nothing at 
all in defence of the ancient custom of burning widows 
in India. When Juggernaut was mentioned, he 
seemed surprised, and asked how we could know of 
those things. He maintained that that image could 
do everything but speak ; and when asked if it 
could walk, he replied in the affirmative, but owned 
that he had never seen it do so. To the observation 
that his priests deceived him, he replied, that we had 
no better grounds for our belief than the Hindoos 
for theirs. I thought it best to speak of the atone- 
ment for sins, and asked if the absurd practices of 
his countrymen were able to satisfy the wrath of 
God. We had some difficulty in making him under- 
stand what sins were. At last he owned himself a 
sinner, and confessed his ignorance on this point. 
We then explained, as far as he was able to compre- 
hend, the doctrine of the redemption of the world 
through Christ, and begged him and his friends to 
place themselves for instruction under the excellent 
and pious catechist then living on that estate. 1 He 
remained silent for some time, lost in thought, but 
said in conclusion, a that if he became a Christian 
he could never go back to Bengal, where he had 
eleven brethren, who would all disown and persecute 
him." 

1 The late Mr. Cave, sent out by the S.P.G. in 1840. 



20 



BEITISH GUIAXA. 



This was the only conversation I have ever had 
with these people, in which both parties were able 
to express their thoughts fully to each other : and 
for this we were indebted to the kindness of the in- 
terpreter. 

These Coolies vere only brought to Guiana for a 
few years, and then returned to their own country 
just as they began to acquire a knowledge of the 
English language sufficient to enable them to com- 
prehend some of the simplest truths of Christianity. 
Fresh bodies of their heathen countrymen being 
brought from thence, all labour in such a case is 
hopeless, except by persons acquainted with their 
tongue, or by distributing the Scrip tmes and other 
Christian books in their language. 

Though miserably poor in their own country, and 
of low caste, yet some of the Coolies are very intel- 
ligent men. I found one of these on Plantation 
Reliance. The negroes on that estate having struck 
for wages, had become very riotous on finding that 
they were to be deprived of their cottages unless 
they paid rent. On visiting them to endeavour to 
bring them to a better mind, I learned that an at- 
tempt had been made to set fire to the cottage of the 
Zemindar, or head of the gang of Coolie labourers 
there, for which a young negro was already in cus- 
tody. On going to look at the spot, the Hindoo 
very courteously invited me to enter, and sit down. 
I did so, and was much pleased with the superior 
cleanliness of his apartment, which contained an odd 
mixture of European articles with those of Eastern 



COOLIES. 



21 



manufacture. His principal pride was however in 
his books. He showed me these, which were in three 
different eastern languages, one being Arabic ; and 
he had also an English spelling-book, a few easy sen- 
tences of which he read, to show his proficiency. 
When told that if he would attend our Sunday 
School we would teach him to read that and any 
English book, he closed with the offer, and came, 
attended with three or four more, the next Sabbath 
morning. I was soon after compelled to leave the 
country, and of course lost sight of him. 

These things are mentioned, not as instances of 
good actually done, but merely as proofs that there 
is an open door for persons who shall be duly quali - 
fied to labour among them. To persons so qualified 
there is a field of great usefulness and promise laid 
open among the Hindoo and Mussulman labourers 
in British Guiana. 

At the same time the benighted condition of the 
Coolie labourers has long called loudly for assistance. 
They are sunk in all the vices as well as follies of 
paganism ; one of the worst features of which seems 
to be indifference as to their own fate, and a want of 
compassion for the sufferings of each other. 

It is grievous to behold the miserable objects 
which may be met with. Poor creatures afflicted 
with disease, which is increased by filth and vermin, 
and so attenuated and weak that they can hardly 
stand, may be constantly observed, wandering about 
in the most miserable condition. Sometimes they 



22 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



may be seen sitting or tying beneath the trees by the 
side of the road, enveloped in a blanket, from which 
a meagre visage and bony arm are protruded, to beg 
for alms from the passers by. In this state they 
generally remain, with little sympathy from their 
own countrymen, until some of the police of the 
rural districts take charge of them. 

They sometimes conceal themselves and die in the 
bushes, a little distance from the road. I once fell 
in with a man who was apparently in the last stage 
of a fever, lying in the long grass at the roadside. 
A negro girl had taken pity on him, and was sup- 
porting his head, and moistening his mouth with 
water, which she had procured in a calabash from a 
trench. Several people being in sight, I rode on 
and desired them to help the sufferer out of the hot 
sun into # some place of shelter. Eeturning in the 
evening, I was surprised to find the man in the same 
spot, quite alone and speechless. Being seven miles 
from home, and knowing no one on the adjoining 
estates, I was at a loss how to act. After waiting- 
some little time, three Coolies approached, and when 
they came up, I asked them to take charge of their 
fellow-countryman. To my great surprise, they flatly 
refused. One of them, a Zemindar, who spoke some 
English, said, that though they knew him, yet he did 
not belong to their gang, and that therefore they 
could not help him. At the question, " Will you 
leave him to die here in the road ? " they shrugged 
their shoulders and > laughed. When the anger of 



NEGLECT OF THE DEAD. 



23 



God. and the probability of their soon being in a 
like condition was set before theni, they looked more 
grave, but did not choose to seem to understand. 
Finally they left the unfortunate outcast. Before 
they had got far, I saw two stout negro lads on a 
bridge at some distance, and called to them, hoping 
to induce them, at least for hire, to take charge of 
him. Then his countrymen, seeing the negroes 
approach, did for shame that which they had re- 
fused to do from compassion — came back and offered 
their services. The Zemindar despatched the others 
to bring assistance, himself remaining with the dying 
man till it arrived. 

A few days before, the body of a Coolie had been 
discovered in some low bush, a short distance from 
the same spot, half devoured by hogs or vultures. 
Let us hope that the gospel may speedily bring about 
a total change in the disposition of these people, 
causing them to cast away the apathetic indifference 
of Hindooism ■ to care more for themselves, and to 
compassionate the sufferings of others. 

The foregoing remarks are the result of personal 
observation during occasional visits to the coast or 
cultivated part of the colony, and of a comparatively 
short residence there at a recent period. It is in the 
power of those clergymen, whose ministry has been 
entirely in that part of the country, to supply much 
more copious and interesting information. 

In taking a general view of the spiritual condition 
of the different portions of the population, we see 



24 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



much reason for regret, but more for exertion. 
Various causes have checked the advancement of the 
negro. His position was most advantageous after 
the emancipation, and his progress cheering. It is 
impossible to acquit him of blame in allowing him- 
self to be carried back, by yielding to the temptations 
that were in his way : at the same time we must 
never forget that evil example has been too often set 
before him, and that the darkness of heathenism has 
been poured in upon a country and people, that once 
promised to be " light in the Lord." 

Our parishes presented the pleasing spectacle of a 
people advancing in Christianity. The introduction 
of the Coolies and others, though necessary for the 
temporal welfare of the colony, converted them into 
Missionary Districts : requiring labom of the most 
energetic and persevering kind. — Let us hope and 
pray that all that is evil and unpleasing in the fore- 
going sketch may soon pass away, by God's blessing 
on the land ; and be numbered among the things that 
have been. May the hour soon arrive, when the 
various discordant races of which the population is 
composed, shall feel the influence of that mighty 
Spirit, which, descending from above into their hearts, 
alone can lead them to the acknowledgment of one 
common Redeemer, and unite all in the faith once 
delivered to the Saints ! 

Whatever our present discouragements may be, 
we know from the sure word of prophecy, that the 
day must surely come, when every edifice which 



CONVERSION OF THE HINDOOS. 



25 



African superstition and Eastern idolatry have raised 
there in opposition to the Church of Christ, shall 
crumble into dust before it ; when, according to the 
promise, 

" The Lord alone shall be exalted. 

" And the idols He shall utterly abolish." 



CHAPTER II. 



THE INTERIOR AND ITS INHABITANTS. 

Britain, God's chosen instrument in propagating the Gospel — Abori- 
ginal inhabitants of America superseded in the public attention by 
the natives of Polynesia — Acquisition of three colonies in Guiana — 
Sketch of the Interior — A day in the Eorest ; its productions and 
scenery ; Birds, Insects, Reptiles, and Quadrupeds — Indians : their 
persons, costume, food, habitations, canoes, and way of life described. 
— The Gospel the only civilizing power. 

The year 1851 marks the completion of a century 
and a half of the labours of England's oldest Mission- 
ary Society. The same year is remarkable for the 
great Industrial Exhibition in London. One of the 
medals designed as prizes on that occasion bears an 
appropriate design, representing Britannia seated to 
receive the productions of different nations, from the 
four quarters of the earth. 

The idea is a pleasing one, and gratifying to the 
national pride of Englishmen. It is, however, still 
more delightful to consider our country in that most 
honourable position, in which the favour of God 
alone has placed her among the various tribes of the 
earth ; as invested with power and opportunity to be 



ABORIGINES OF AMERICA. 



27 



His instrument in bestowing the word of life, and 
planting his church in those heathen lands, which 
He has placed beneath her rule : — that the know- 
ledge of Salvation in Christ may not be forgotten by 
her emigrant sons, and may be communicated to all 
the various Aboriginal tribes, — the children whom 
God has given her. 

Among these various races, the natives of America 
had the first claim. They had been deprived of 
their country by the aggression of Europeans, among 
whom our own countrymen took their full share ; 
and it is but our just duty therefore to endeavour, 
by every means in our power, to save the last rem- 
nants of a perishing race. 

The Indian, in his state of rude simplicity, has 
always been an object of curiosity to civilized man. 
The interest excited at the first discovery of Ame- 
rica was immense. The accounts given by Columbus 
and his companions of the simplicity of the people, 
caused almost as much wonder as the discovery of 
their country. Their colour and appearance, their 
primitive manners, the unaffected kindness and hos- 
pitality with which the inhabitants of the larger 
West Indian Islands received and welcomed their 
ruthless destroyers, caused a sympathy for that 
unfortunate people which will endure as long as 
their story is remembered ; on the other hand, the 
ferocity of the inhabitants of the Cnribi islands, 
and their cannibal propensities, excited equal wonder 
and disgust. 

England had then little to do with either of these 



28 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



races, or with the inhabitants of tropical America 
generally. The people of Spain and Portugal had 
appropriated their persons, country, and wealth to 
themselves, and Rome claimed dominion over their 
souls. 

Our colonies in North America brought us into 
collision with various tribes of Indians, men equally 
fierce, and far more robust and hardy than the most 
warlike tribes of the South. These were the first 
objects of attention to our Society, whose Mission- 
aries continued to labour among them with great zeal 
until the separation of the United States from Great 
Britain in 1783. The only sphere of labour then left 
her among the Aborigines of America was Canada, 
Nova Scotia, and Hudson's Bay territory. 

After this separation, the interest which had been 
felt by the public in general in the American Indians 
began to languish : and it was about the same time 
superseded by the great discoveries in the Pacific 
Ocean. The voyages of our great navigator, Captain 
Cook, and others, had revealed to us the existence of 
numerous islands of singular beauty and fertility; 
and the interest excited by the descriptions of that 
great man, and those who followed him, almost 
equalled that felt by Europeans at the first discovery 
of the islands and continent of America. The Sand- 
wich Islanders occupied in the public mind the place 
once filled by the painted warriors of the North ; — 
the more effeminate tribes of the South were super- 
seded by the voluptuous natives of Tahiti and the 
Society islands ; — while the Cannibal Caribs, still in 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



29 



existence, were forgotten in the interest taken in the 
equally cannibal New Zealanders. 

This interest has been, by Divine direction, pro- 
ductive of much good to the inhabitants of Polynesia, 
at which all must rejoice. Pious and able men have 
exerted themselves with success in converting to 
Christianity the inhabitants of islands whose exist- 
ence was hardly suspected a century ago. Even in 
that scene of spiritual darkness and desolation — in 
Xew Zealand — the labours of a Marsden, a Bishop 
Selwyn, and others, have been blessed by God to the 
establishment of the Christian Church. 

But meanwhile, the events of the late war placed 
at the feet of Britain a country in South America, 
the aboriginal inhabitants of which have claims upon 
the Church inferior to none. The surrender of three 
extensive colonies in Guiana to us by the Dutch, has 
placed a large extent of country under our control 
for about half a century, and has of course given 
its inhabitants a claim upon us, equal to that which 
the natives of any of our colonial possessions have 
ever had. It is but lately that this claim has been 
at all attended to \ religious duties were but little 
regarded by the colonists in the time of slavery, 
and in England considerable ignorance prevailed 
respecting the colony altogether for many years. 
Even now we may find persons, who are tolerably 
well informed with respect to our East Indian pos- 
sessions, Australia, and the South Sea Islands, who 
have scarcely any knowledge at all of British Guiana ; 
Demerara being sometimes inadvertently regarded as 



30 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



a West Indian Island, instead of part of the continent 
of South America. 

A brief sketch of the inhabitants, and present con- 
dition of the coast of that country, has already been 
given. We will now quit the cultivated district, and 
take a view of the interior and its inhabitants. 

Though in so large a country considerable variety 
exists, yet forests and rivers may be said to form its 
most striking features. The woods commence at 
the very edge of the sea, and even in the sea trees 
may be seen covered with leaves. The courida bush 
prevails here, and the wild mangrove at the mouths 
of the rivers. From hence a forest of immense ex- 
tent spreads over many thousands of square miles, 
broken in certain places by swamps, and in others 
by extensive savannahs, or open tracts only covered 
with grasses, and with clumps of trees here and there. 
The sand-hills and other ridges of moderate height are 
covered by these immense forests, which only give 
place to the rocky mountains of the far interior. 
These forests are in many places so dense as to be 
almost impenetrable, the spaces between the large 
trees being filled by smaller ones, all striving to find 
room for their branches, while the surface of the 
ground is covered with humbler vegetation, the lux- 
uriance of which is unbounded. Magnificent timber 
trees abound everywhere ; the stately mora, which 
sometimes considerably exceeds one hundred feet in 
height; the green heart; the bully-tree, noted for its 
toughness and durability ; the bisi ; the simiri or 
locust-tree, with its bright yellow blossoms hanging 



FORESTS OF GUI AX A. 



31 



in beautiful festoons, or loaded with its sweet fruit : 
these and many others, which far exceed the forest- 
trees of Britain in height and size, meet the eye in 
every direction. 

Numerous species of palms are also seen growing 
in clusters and mingling with the surrounding trees, 
or sometimes lifting their heads above them. These 
give great beauty and variety to the scenery of the 
woods. Among them are the cokarito, the stumps 
of whose decayed branches form a means of ascent, 
reaching from the root to the flourishing leaves at 
its top. This tree is remarkable for its hard splin- 
tery wood, of which the small poisoned arrows are 
made. There is also the trooly, whose leaves, from 
twelve to eighteen feet in length, are used in thatch- 
ing houses i and the elegant manicole, which rises to 
a considerable height, and whose stem is little more 
than nine inches in diameter. The cabbages at the 
top of this and other species are excellent food. 

The difficulty of penetrating into these forests is 
increased by certain creepers and bush-ropes, as they 
are called, which ascend the trunks of the trees and 
then descend, binding and interlacing their branches 
in every direction. They are said even to destroy by 
their abundance the tree which supports them ; and 
it is not unfrequent to behold a tree half fallen to 
the earth, with its descent arrested for a time by 
being upheld by them. 

As a constant summer prevails here, there is a 
continual renewal of buds and leaves, and very few 
living trees are ever seen bare of them. The surface 



32 



BRITISH GUIANa. 



of the ground, where it is visible among the lower 
shrubs, is strewed with dead leaves, branches, and 
fallen trunks, in different stages of decay, some of 
which will crumble into dust beneath the foot which 
may be placed on them. 

He who would see the beasts and birds which inhabit 
these forests, should rise from his hammock and ram- 
ble with the Indian at dawn of day. All nature then 
seems animated by the returning light. The panther, 
which hunts for its prey chiefly by night, has retired 
to its lair ; and the red monkey or baboon is beginning 
to get tired of its own cry, the horrid noise of which 
must be heard to be duly appreciated. The birds 
and smaller animals come forth to feed, and every 
thing teems with life. Macaws, with their splendid 
plumage of blue and yellow, or crimson and purple, 
are flying over head amidst flocks of parrots, as nu- 
merous and noisy as rooks in England. The toucan, 
or bill-bird, so called from its enormous beak, may 
be seen in his favorite position at the top of the 
highest tree. The hannaqua and duraqua, the powis, 
as large as a turkey, and many others, remarkable 
for beauty or good for food, may then be heard or 
seen. Nor must the various and beautiful humming 
birds be overlooked. 

Innumerable winged or creeping insects also meet 
the eye. The nests of the wood ants are fixed on 
the branches of some decaying tree. The coushi 
ants are stripping some favorite tree of its leaves, 
many being engaged • in nipping them off above, 
whilst others below are busy in cutting them into 



A DAY IN THE FORESTS. 



33 



small pieces, which thousands bear away to their 
nests in the earth. The appearance of these portions 
of leaves, which seem at first sight to be erect and 
moving off of their own accord, is very singular, as 
they wind along their path in close succession, and 
climb over the little obstacles which lie in their way. 
Many other kinds of ants are also busy in every 
direction, while spiders abound, some of which are of 
very large size. Butterflies and other insects of 
great beauty are also very numerous at certain 
seasons of the year. 

As the heat of the day advances, the birds retire 
to shelter until the approach of evening. The 
mournful note of the wood-pigeon may be heard in 
the distance ; but few birds quit their shelter during 
the sultry noon, except the pi-pi-yo, which disturbs 
the general stillness by its strong clear note, from 
the sound of which the Indian has taken its name. 

When evening approaches, the busy scene of the 
morning is repeated ; the black and yellow mocking- 
birds become particularly loquacious, as they fly in 
and out of their pendent nests. The flocks of 
parrots retire to their places of rest, and a large 
winged insect comes forth at sunset, as if to give 
notice of the close of day, which it does by a loud, 
harsh noise, from which it is commonly called the 
razor-grinder by the settlers. After this all gradu- 
ally subsides into the silence of night, broken only 
by the croaking of frogs, the occasional cry of 
nocturnal birds, and the slight sound produced by 
the vampire-bat in his eccentric flight. 



34 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Let the intruder into these forests be cautious 
where he treads, and lean not against a tree till he has 
well examined it. Otherwise he may receive a fatal 
bite from some venomous serpent. The tarantula 
spider, the centipede, and scorpion, are also there, and 
ants, whose bite is very painful, will begin to cover 
the clothes of a stranger before he is aware of their 
presence. The luxuriant and beautiful garb which 
nature here assumes, and which is so gratifying to 
the eye, is counterbalanced by dangers and annoy- 
ances, which, though they must not be magnified, 
are nevertheless of a serious nature. Musquitoes 
are very large and numerous near the coast, and for 
some miles in the interior of the country. But the 
serpents which abound in many places are chiefly 
to be dreaded. There are several of the constrictor 
species, some of enormous size, but they are not 
likely when unprovoked to attack a man, unless 
they are large enough to swallow him. 

The bush-master, or konokosi, is the largest and 
most dreaded of all the venomous snakes. It is said 
to attack man even when unmolested. I cannot 
vouch for the truth of this ; but it is always «spoken 
of with dread. Fortunately, it is very rarely met 
with. Next to this the rattle-snake is most to 
be dreaded in dry situations, and the labaria in 
damp places ; but there are many other species 
equally deadly. Snakes are, indeed, so numerous 
and so various, that the names of some of the 
species cannot even be learned from Indians them- 
selves. 



SERPENTS. 



3-5 



With all these reptiles, and indeed with most of 
the living creatures inhabiting the forest, the Indian 
wages continual war. Snakes, whether harmless or 
venomous, are destroyed wherever he meets with 
them; and the deadly powers which many species 
possess render their destruction absolutely necessary. 
No one who has seen the agonies of a human being, 
who has been bitten by them, can ever look upon a 
snake again without a feeling of disgust almost 
amounting to horror. The small gliding creature, 
contemptible in size, though beautiful in its varie- 
gated colours, which lies coiled among the roots of 
a tree, or hidden in the grass, is far more to be 
dreaded than the larger species, which destroy by 
their muscular strength, but have no poisonous 
properties. 

It has been my lot to witness on more than one 
occasion the effects of the bite of the labaria, and 
there is perhaps no person who has lived for years in 
the interior who has not been in imminent danger at 
times from the proximity of some of these creatures. 
I have, however, only heard of one instance in which 
a full-grown man has been seized by one of the 
boa species. This occurred in the swamps of the 
Akawini. The reptile, a large camudi, sprang upon 
him, and coiled round his body, confining one of 
his arms. Providentially, before it could master 
the other, his wife, who was near, handed him a 
knife, with which he inflicted a deep cut, causing 
the snake to quit him, and make its retreat. The 
Indians, also, once told me of a large camudi having 



36 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



been killed in a state of torpidity which had just 
swallowed a boy of the Caribi nation. 

To any one who knows what destructive creatures 
abound in these forests, it is surprising that accidents 
of this kind do not more frequently occur. But the 
great characteristic of the Indian is caution, and his 
keen eye and acute hearing are constantly exercised 
by the nature of his situation. He displays a 
subtilty of artifice in capturing these reptiles equal 
to that which is usually assigned to the serpent 
himself. I have seen an Indian creep under a low 
bush on his hands and knees, and capture a koloko- 
naro by means of a noose which he dropped over its 
head with a forked stick as it raised it to look at 
the intruder ; the stick being then quickly placed on 
its neck, and the noose drawn tight, the reptile was 
hauled forth, and its capture completed. In this 
manner the Indians catch such snakes as they wish 
to preserve alive for sale. If the snake be not too 
large or venomous, the man grasps it tightly by the 
neck, and allows it to coil itself round his arm, until 
he is able to place it in secure confinement. The 
kolokonaro was only about five feet in length, but so 
thick and strong that the Indian who carried it was 
soon obliged to call for assistance, to remove the 
snake and release his arm from its pressure. This 
species is beautifully marked with brown, orange, 
white, and other colours. It is sometimes called the 
la?id-cam\\di or boa, to distinguish it from the other 
camudi, which takes ' to the water, and is found in 
damp places. They both attain to a great size. 



Indian Snake-C atelier. 



WILD ANIMALS. 



37 



Some of the larger snakes are said to attain to 
upwards of thirty feet in length. I never saw any 
near that size : the largest that I knew of was about 
twenty feet, and was captured by some of our 
Indians in a similar manner to that related above, 
while gorged with food. They then tied it to the 
stern of a canoe, and towed it through the water to 
the residence of a settler, to whom they disposed of 
it alive. 

Most of the animals which are found in these 
primaeval forests are of species with which the 
greater number of our readers in England are little 
acquainted. The largest is the tapir or maipnri, 
called the bush-cow by the settlers, which is about 
the size of a large calf, and its flesh somewhat re- 
sembles beef. It is a clumsy-looking animal, with 
a tapering upper lip, feeding on the vegetable pro- 
ductions which abound in its favourite haunts, and 
harmless and retiring in its habits. There are many 
smaller animals which are hunted by the Indians, 
— several kinds of deer, — one of which, the wiribisiri, 
is remarkable for its elegance of form and its very 
diminutive size. The hush-hogs, as they are called, 
are rather numerous. There are two kinds most 
commonly met with, the aboeya and the kaero, the 
latter being large and ferocious. The}' have an 
orifice on the back, which is offensive, and is cut 
away by the hunters as soon as the animal is 
taken ; the other flesh is good. The acouri is a 
small animal, somewhat resembling a guinea-pig, but 
its legs are longer in proportion, and more slender ; 



38 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



and it is much more active. Its colour is a reddish 
brown. 

There is no animal whose flesh is more highly 
valued than the labba. This is of the size and shape 
of a small pig, though differing in its nose, feet, and 
some other parts of its body, which more resemble 
the hare. Being very delicious food, it is hunted 
without mercy. It always keeps near the water, 
and being amphibious, takes to it when pursued, and 
is generally killed there by the arrows of the Indians, 
who hunt it in two parties, one of which chases it 
with dogs to the stream, while the other, in a small 
canoe, follows the sound of the chase, and is ready 
to shoot when the terrified creature in the water 
approaches the surface to breathe. 

The sloth may occasionally be seen moving among 
the branches of the trees ; and the armadillo, ant- 
eater, and coatimondi frequent certain districts, 
where their food is plentiful. Opossums are rather 
numerous : but there is no animal which gives 
more life to forest scenes than the monkey. There 
are several species of these. The red howling monkey 
is a disagreeable creature the greyish brown monkey 
is the most common ; and the diminutive sakuwiuki 
the most beautiful. These inoffensive little creatures 
in the forests on the banks of the rivers, will keep 
company with a canoe for a long distance, whistling 
and chattering with the greatest animation to the 
paddlers ; while the woods resound with the crashing 
of the branches, as they spring, one after another, 
from tree to tree in their merry course. There is 



THE JAGUAR. 



39 



another kind of monkey, with long shaggy hair, 
perfectly black, and very serious in his aspect, which 
may be seen occasionally taking a graye survey of 
an approaching party, till, suddenly, the necessity 
of taking care of himself seems to flash across his 
mind, and he makes a wild and undignified retreat. 
Other species may occasionally be met with. 

The interest, and, in some degree, the danger, of a 
life in the woods, is kept up by the possibility of 
meeting with animals of the feline species. One 
kind of these, in the more distant parts of the inte- 
rior, is black, but those more generally known are 
beautifully spotted. The jaguar, or South American 
panther, is the largest and most destructive. 

In the deepest glades of the forest, or by the side 
of the streams which wind in every direction through 
the woods, these animals may be met with, though 
but rarely in districts where the Indian hunters are 
numerous. Although the jaguar is a beast of prey, 
it is impossible to gaze without admiration on his 
rich glossy skin, as the sunbeams fall on it through 
the opening in the tall trees caused by the stream. 
He will not, however, allow much time for examina- 
tion of the deep black spots, disposed in rings on his 
tawny hide, as he generally retreats, after gazing for 
a few seconds at the intruding party \ often looking 
round, as he glides off with noiseless step, and 
bounds carelessly, and apparently without the least 
effort, over the fallen trees and other obstacles which 
may impede his path. It is but very seldom that 
he allows such a view of himself in the daytime ; 



40 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



but at night his roar, or rather jell, is often heard, 
and his track is visible in the morning. 

Although the jaguar rarely indeed attacks man, 
yet it is most certain that he will do so if hard 
pressed by hunger, or favoured by the darkness of 
the night. There is a winding in the river Arapiaco, 
called in the patois of the settlers " Tiger-hand," (or 
bend,) from the following circumstance. A solitary 
Indian being wearied with paddling, went ashore at 
this spot, tied his hammock under a tree, and slept. 
Whether he had been unable to kindle a fire ; whether 
he was intoxicated (as too often happens), and forgot 
to do so ; or, perhaps, had let his guardian-fire go out, 
is not known; but his half-devoured remains were 
found the next morning by a party who chanced to 
land there. This anecdote was related to me in 
1841 by a respectable settler, Mr. P. Alstein, and 
corroborated by the Indians. 

Sometimes the jaguar will be rather troublesome, 
even in the daytime. Not half a mile from our 
Mission, two settlers were cutting wood a short 
distance from their cottages, when a large " tiger," 
as they call it, approached them, and, notwithstanding 
their shouts to deter it, continued to advance reso- 
lutely till its proximity became very disagreeable. 
They then threw pieces of wood to drive it away ; 
but as it was not to be thus repulsed, they, as a last 
resource, threw an axe, and ran into their cottage for 
a gun. The jaguar, probably expecting that they 
would be reinforced,- then made off. They were 
hardy men, bred in the forests, but well knew that 



RIVERS. 



41 



if the irritated, and perhaps hungry animal made 
a spring, it would certainly bear down the object of 
its attack to the earth, and fasten on his throat. I 
have seen several skeletons of animals devoured by 
the jaguars, and generally found a small piece taken 
out of the skull, which is probably done- by the 
stroke on the crown of the head which accompanies 
their powerful spring. The jaguar attains considerable 
size. Some of the skins of this larger kind which I 
have seen were five feet in length, not including the 
tail ; but I once saw one from the Orinoco con- 
siderably longer. 

The rivers of the country next claim attention. 
They are very numerous, British Guiana being well- 
watered everywhere. The largest is the Essequibo, 
which, including its windings, is more than six 
hundred miles in length, and receives the waters of 
several very large tributary streams. To the east- 
ward of this are the Demerara, the Berbice, and the 
Corentyn, with several smaller streams. The main 
rivers take their rise in the mountains of the interior, 
near the equator, and form magnificent cataracts 
and rapids as they descend to the level of the sea. 
A number of islands beautify these large rivers, which 
are very broad at the mouth, the estuary of the 
Corentyn being ten miles across, and that of the 
Essequibo nearly twenty. 

To the westward of the Essequibo are the Pomeroon, 
Monica, Waini, Barima, and other rivers of various 
sizes which serve to drain the large tract of country 
lying between the cultivated part of the coast and 



42 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



the delta of the Orinoco. This district may be 
described as an immense swamp, intersected by a 
few ridges of sand-hills, and abounding in lakes and 
what are called " wet savannahs. " These are large 
open tracts of country, covered with reeds and rushes, 
and entirely overspread during the wet seasons with 
water, which drains off in dry weather. Some of 
these are studded with small islands, which are 
covered with stately trees ; while clusters of the 
eta-palm grow in the swamp itself on spots of land 
somewhat higher than the rest. These, with their 
fan-like leaves and trunks which resemble stone 
columns, render very beautiful a scene which would 
otherwise be dreary and desolate. 

Most of the lakes and streams abound with a 
great variety of fish. In the large rivers there are 
fish of more than two hundred pounds in weight, 
which the Indians shoot with arrows. Most of the 
smaller kinds are very delicious, as the Haimara, 
Pacu, Luganani, fcc ; others are rather dangerous to 
bathers, a small fish in particular, called Pirai, which 
I have known in two instances to have nearly 
severed the great toe of an Indian youth, who was 
standing carelessly in the water. To frighten these 
and other creatures, the Indians, when bathing, 
plunge and splash in the water, and make as much 
disturbance as they can. 

A small alligator is found in the waters near the 
coast, which is eaten by the natives, and otters are 
numerous in many of the small rivers, and so pug- 
nacious that thej' will sometimes follow a canoe, and 



THE INDIANS. 



43 



endeavour to bite the steering paddle. In the 
interior the cayman is found, which is a large and 
formidable creature, very dangerous to those who 
may have to swim across the rivers. 

The rivers of British Guiana afford a means of 
communication with the interior. They are, in fact, 
the only means, as the dense forest which covers the 
country is only crossed, at present, by the foot-track 
of the Indian. In order to get at the various tribes, 
it is necessary to ascend these streams. 

The Indian in his native forests appears very 
unlike the half stupefied being who might have been 
met wandering through the city, or on the planta- 
tions ; and they would be much in the wrong who 
should form their estimate of him from his appear- 
ance when half intoxicated, and surrounded by a 
multitude of strange people and objects to which he 
has been little accustomed. He is then completely 
out of his element, and conscious that he is so ; but 
when he returns to the forest, he at once loses his 
awkward manner \ he is at home, and feels himself, 
in every quality necessary to a life in the wilderness, 
superior to the civilized stranger who may visit him, 
and who, endeavouring to make his way through 
some low tangled bush, or staggering across a swampy 
place on the insecure footing afforded by slender 
pieces of wood, must appear to the Indian even 
more awkward and out of place, than the Indian 
surrounded by the objects of civilized life did to him. 

The appearance of the Indian in his natural state 
is not unpleasing, when the eye has become accus- 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



tomed to his scanty attire. He is smaller in size 
than either the European or the negro, nor does he 
possess the bodily strength of either of these. Few 
of his race exceed five feet five inches in height, and 
the greater number are much shorter. They are 
generally well made • many are rather stout in pro- 
portion to their height, and it is very rare to see a 
deformed person among them. 

Their colour is a copper tint, pleasing to the eye, 
and the skin, where constantly covered from the sun, 
is little darker than that of the natives of southern 
Europe. Their hair is straight and coarse, and 
continues perfectly black till an advanced period of 
life. The general expression of the face is pleasing, 
though it varies with the tribe and the disposition 
of each person. Their eyes are black and piercing, 
and generally slant upwards a little towards the 
temple, which would give an unpleasant expression 
to the face, were it not relieved by the sweet expres- 
sion of the mouth. The forehead generally recedes, 
though in a lesser decree than in the African ; there 
is, however, much difference in this respect, and 
in some individuals it is well-formed and prominent. 

The only dress which the Indian in his heathen 
state thinks at all necessary, is a single strip of 
cotton bound tightly round his loins, or secured by 
a cord tied round his waist. In this they generally 
wear a knife, (exactly similar to our carving knives.) 
which is of great service to them in clearing their 
way through the tangled briars and thickets, or as 
a weapon in case of emergency. A single string of 



IXDIAX COSTUME. 



4:5 



beads is worn round the neck, and sometimes a 
collar composed of the teeth of the peccary, or bush- 
hoo\ or other wild animals. Many individuals wear 
a small cord round the wrist and ancles. They 
make beautiful coronals, or tiaras, of the feathers of 
parrots, macaws, and. other birds, set off with the 
brilliant breast of the toucan, but these, with many 
other ornaments, are seldom worn, except on festive 
occasions, or the clays of their great dances. 

The women of most of the tribes are as scantily 
attired as the men, but wear more ornaments. They 
have many necklaces of beads of different lengths, 
to which silver coins and crosses, the teeth of the 
jaguar and other beasts, and sometimes shells, are 
attached. These necklaces, with a very small apron 
of beads worked in a beautiful pattern, form the 
usual costume of an Indian girl. 

Such was the appearance of both sexes in their 
natural heathen state, before the gentle influence of 
Christianity had opened the way for its handmaid 
civilization. Such is at this moment the appearance 
of many hundreds residing within sixty miles of the 
cultivated parts of the country, and of thousands in 
more remote districts. The females of the Arawak 
tribe, however, and some few others, who had been 
rather civilized by intercourse with the wives of the 
settlers, often possessed a kind of petticoat, which 
they call kimisa, (from the Spanish camisa.) and 
suspended with a string over one shoulder, leaving 
bare the other. The men of this tribe have also 
generally a shirt, with sometimes a pair of trowsers, 



46 



BRITISH GUI AX A. 



and a cap or hat. which they put on when they 
expect to meet with civilized persons, and then lay 
up carefully in their pegalls or baskets, until a 
similar occasion calls for their use. But even this 
faint approach to the decencies of civilized life will 
totally disappear as the enterprising traveller may 
penetrate further into the wilds of the interior. 

In selecting the site for his habitation, there are 
three or four things by which the Indian is guided. 
It must be near the water, that his wife or daughter 
may be able, with little trouble, to fetch it for the 
se of the family, and that he may be enabled to 
bring his small canoe to a spot convenient for lading 
it with his few household utensils, when setting out 
on one of their frequent migrations. It must be in 
the neighbourhood of a light sandy soil, where he 
can cut down part of the forest annually, to fomi 
the field for his cassava, and other vegetables. It 
roust also be in a spot where game can be met with, 
and fish easily procured. Lastly, it must be in a 
place little frequented, for he is retiring in his habits, 
and will leave his quarters if too much disturbed. 

When he has found a spot possessing these attrac- 
tions he builds his house, and cuts down a large 
space of ground to form his field. This is generally 
done in the month of August, during the hot season ; 
and the branches and foliage being soon dried by the 
heat of the sun, he sets it on fire, and the conflagra- 
tion destroys everything except the charred and 
blackened trunks of the large trees. These he leaves 
on the ground \ — he has worked hard to clear the 



INDIAN DWELLINGS. 



47 



field, and the planting, weeding, and everything else 
connected with the cultivation of the cassava, and 
making it into bread, is left to the females of the 
family. While they attend to this and their house- 
hold work, he occupies himself in hunting and fish- 
ing, spending a great deal of time in making baskets 
of various sizes and descriptions, and lying indolently 
in his hammock until necessitated to fish, or use the 
more violent exercise of the chase to provide meat 
for the wants of his family. 

If a visitor to the dwelling of the Indian expects 
much in the way of architecture, he will be greatly 
disappointed ; a roof, thatched with the large leaves 
of the trooly or other kinds of palm, supported on a 
few posts and beams, being generally all that consti- 
tutes his dwelling. It is frequently open at the sides, 
but there is some variety in the shape ; sometimes 
one or more sides are enclosed with the same mate- 
rials as the roof, and sometimes the roof itself slopes 
to the ground. Where there is but a single house 
there is generally a partition, which divides the 
apartment of the women and children from that 
appropriated to the men, it being one of the many 
marks of the degradation of the women that they 
must not eat with the male members of the family, 
though obliged to wait upon them. 

The man's apartment, if it can be termed such, 
has a few low seats, sometimes carved out of single 
blocks of wood into the rude form of quadrupeds. 
From the beams are suspended hammocks, according 
to the number of persons who may be abiding there 



48 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



for the time, which form their luxurious place of 
repose whether waking or sleepiug. These hammocks 
are made of network of cotton, or the fibres of plants, 
and are not only convenient but necessary : as a 
person sleeping in one of these is out of the way of 
most of the venomous creatures which infest the 
forests. Fires are lighted under these hammocks at 
night, which not only deter wild animals from ap- 
proaching, but rarify the night air. and counteract, 
in a great degree, its excessive dampness. The 
apartment is also furnished with the implements 
used in hunting and fishing. Bows, five or six feet 
long, powerfully elastic, and made of polished wood, 
and arrows of neat manufacture, are to be seen, with 
fish-hooks and rods of various sizes. In the settle- 
ments near the coast there is a gun. if the man be at 
all industrious ; and among the more distant tribes 
of the interior the place of this is supplied by the 
long blow pipe, and the poisoned arrows which are 
discharged through it. The baskets called pegails 
are generally formed of the outer skin of a large reed 
or cane, which is split into long strips, (half of which 
are painted black.) and then interwoven in various 
shapes and beautiful patterns. They are generally 
of an oblong square, with a lid that entirely covers 
the under part, and in them the Indian keeps his 
scanty wardrobe — a comb, a looking-glass, and other 
articles of European manufacture for his toilet, and 
sometimes an article intended for a very different 
purpose, being a small club with sharp corners, made 
of very hard and heavy wood, and capable of killing 



DOMESTIC UTENSILS. 



49 



an enemy by a single blow on the head. A supply 
of tobacco must not be forgotten : it is an article of 
which they are very fond, and which has with them 
an almost sacred character, from its use in their 
superstitious rites. They make cigars of the leaf, 
which they roll up in the inner bark of a tree. 

The women's apartment, or kitchen, as it may be 
called, is furnished with a number of vessels for culi- 
nary purposes. Those of Indian manufactiue are 
formed by themselves of a white kind of clay, and 
are baked and blackened over. They also make a 
sort of goglet, or long-necked vessel, for containing 
water : but for the purpose of fetching it from the 
river they generally manage to procure one of our 
large stone bottles, which the women carry, as they 
do their other burdens, on their back, supporting 
its weight by a strap placed across the forehead. 
These are much stronger than their own brittle 
manufacture. 

They have also a large grater, with which they 
scrape the cassava root into a pulpy mass, and a 
shallow trough to contain it when thus scraped ; the 
latter is generally part of some old canoe cut for the 
purpose. There is also a strainer, made of similar 
material to the pegall before described, but coarser ; 
it is a long tube open at the top and closed at the 
bottom, to which a strong loop is attached. The 
pulpy mass of cassava is placed in this, and it is sus- 
pended from a beam. One end of a large staff is then 
placed through the loop at the bottom \ the woman 
sits upon the centre of the staff, or attaches a heavy 

E 



50 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



stone to the end. and the weight stretches the elastic- 
tube, which presses the cassava inside, causing the 
juice to flow through the interstices of the plaited 
material of which it is made. This liquor is carefully 
collected in a vessel placed beneath. It is a most 
deadly poison : 1 but after being boiled it becomes 
perfectly wholesome, and is the nutritious sauce, 
called casareep. which forms a principal ingredient 
in the pepper-pot. a favourite dish of the country. 

The apartment wiH also contain a circular iron 
plate, on which the cassava is spread and baked in 
broad thin cakes ; these form the bread of the 
Indian, and with Indian corn, different kinds of 
yams, potatoes, and other esculents, are a principal 
part of their food. 

From the time of cutting down the forest to form 
the field, the labour of providing vegetable food is 
the work of the women, who are also expected to 
cut firewood, bear burdens when on the march, and 
perform the drudgery of the house. 

The larger settlements or villages have generally a 
house superior in size and appearance to the others. 
Here the men meet to confer together on any matter 
which may demand public attention : and strangers 
are received by them with ceremonious gravity. 

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that 
many of their implements are made of iron. Before 
the introduction of this metal by the Europeans, the 
labour of both sexes must have been much greater 

1 Goats and pigs who have drunk it swell and die immediately, as I 
have witnessed. 



INDIAN CANOES. 



51 



than at present. I was once shown a small stone 
with a sharp edge, which they had fonnd in the 
forest, and which they said was the head of a small 
axe nsed by their ancestors ; but it is difficult to 
conceive how they could ever have cut down a tree 
of large size with such a tool \ although we know that 
such implements are still used by many wild races at 
the present day. Probably fire was used to assist the 
labour of felling. They are now under obligations 
to us, which they gratefully acknowledge, for guns, 
axes, hoes, cutlasses, knives, and many other useful 
articles. They make the barbed heads of their 
arrows out of old cutlasses and other pieces of iron, 
and do it very well. Many of then- arrows are still 
pointed with tough wood, hardened, in the fire ; and 
they boast that such as these have been known to 
pierce through the body of a man, when discharged 
by a powerful arm. 

They travel much, and principally by water. They 
sometimes make long journeys by land, carrying 
most of their effects with them \ but always go by 
water if possible, as their canoe then bears the 
burden, which they must otherwise carry themselves. 
Their light barks are made of a single tree, hollowed 
out and opened by manual labour, assisted by the 
action of fire ; they are generally pointed both at 
the prow and stern, and in that shape are called 
co rials by the settlers, from a Caribisi word signify- 
ing a canoe. 1 Some of these are very large, and have 

1 1 shall continue to nse the latter word as best understood in England. 



52 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



the pointed head and stern cut off ; and the opening 
thus caused is filled up by pieces of plank, on which 
are painted various fantastic figures in different 
colours, according to the taste of the owner. Some- 
times a plank of a soft kind of wood is laced tightly 
on to the side to make it higher, and the seam is 
caulked. He who possesses cne of these large canoes 
is a man of some importance among them. 

They use paddles ; those made of the fluted pro- 
jections of the lower part of the trunk of the yaruru 
tree are considered the best. They paddle with a 
regular stroke, but often vary the measure, for which 
the signal is given by the leader throwing the water 
high in the air from the blade of his paddle. They 
all sit facing the head of the canoe. 

Having thus endeavoured to give, as briefly as 
possible, a general view of the external features of 
the country and its inhabitants, we shall next pro- 
ceed to more particular information respecting the 
spiritual condition of these people, and the efforts 
made to enlighten the darkness of their minds, 
which were a perfect blank with respect to all that 
refines and elevates the soul. Though for a great 
number of years some of the tribes have been in 
proximity to Eiiropeans of different races ; — first as 
bitter enemies, exterminating where they were able ; 
and afterwards as friends and allies, caressed and 
employed by the Dutch to hunt down their runaway 
slaves : — yet still, whether foes or friends to civi- 
lized man, scarcely any change was produced on their 
mode of life, or way of thinking. Instances are 



THE GOSPEL THE OXLY CIVILIZING POWER. 53 



related where young individuals of both sexes have 
been taken away and carefully educated : so that it 
seemed impossible they could ever again sink into 
their natural condition. The opportunity offered ; 
— the dark green forest was before their eyes, — the 
Indian was the Indian still, — and the unconquerable 
lono-ins: for the wild life of the woods has always been 
too strong in them for the restraints of education. 

The present age is distinguished beyond those that 
have gone before it, by the efforts made to evangelise 
these people, whom it has been found impossible to 
civilize in any other way. The result has shown 
that the Gospel is the only effectual power, — that 
the heart of the savage can be softened and attracted 
only by the religion of Jesus. 

" They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow 
before Him." 



CHAPTER III. 



MISSIONS TO THE INDIAN TRIBES. 

Indian Superstitions — Opinions respecting Guiana — El Dorado — Eirst 
Colonists — Their contests with the Indians — Afterwards use their 
help against the Maroon Negroes — The Moravians — Present 
Missions — Various Tribes — Pate of the Mission to the Macusis. 

The Indians of Guiana, in their natural condition, 
are slaves to superstition. There is a confused idea 
dwelling in their minds respecting the existence of 
one good Spirit, and they also believe in a multitude 
of inferior powers, generally of a malignant cha- 
racter. 

The good Spirit they regard as their Creator, and 
their ideas of his nature are in many points sur- 
prisingly correct. As far as we could learn, he is 
regarded by them as immortal, omnipotent, and 
invisible ; they also acknowledge his omniscience : 
but, notwithstanding this, we have never discovered 
any traces of religious worship or adoration paid to 
him, among any of the tribes with which we have 
become acquainted. They seem to consider him as 
a being too high to notice them, and not knowing 
him as a God " that heareth prayer," they concern 
themselves but little about him. 



OPINIONS RESPECTING GUIANA. 



55 



It is not, therefore, surprising that they should 
have the most abject dread of the evil principle^ 
and not regarding God as their protector, seek blindly 
to propitiate devils. Superstitious fear thus reigns 
where holy love is wanting. Their belief in the 
power of demons is craftily fostered and encouraged 
by a class of men, who are their sorcerers or priests, 
pretending to hold intercourse with familiar spirits, 
and to cure diseases by their means. 

Such a system of belief and practice, though it 
may not contribute to render them the more ready 
to receive Christianity when offered to them, yet 
opposes no very great obstacle to its reception. The 
devil-worshipper is ever found more ready to forsake 
his openly evil system, than the more philosophic 
heathen who is wise in his own conceit. Unhappily 
for the Indians of South America, for a long time 
none took the pains to endeavour to lead them to 
the knowledge of the true God, and the way of 
salvation through his Son. 

Centuries elapsed from the discovery of Guiana, 
ere any effort was made to convert the Aboriginal 
inhabitants to Christianity. Not that it was a country 
overlooked and forgotten • on the contrary, it excited 
considerable attention. But the Europeans who 
first visited its shores, sailed up its rivers, or pene- 
trated its deep forests, had one great purpose of a 
very different nature, — the all-absorbing thirst for 
gold had taken possession of their hearts. 

Very different from the truth were the ideas which 
prevailed respecting the interior of Guiana, during 



56 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



the sixteenth century, and even to a comparatively 
recent period. It was believed that in the heart of 
that country there was a golden region whose riches 
exceeded those of Peru. There was said to be a lake, 
called Parima, whose sands contained such quantities 
of gold, that the city of Manoa, on its banks, con- 
sisted of houses covered with plates of the precious 
metal; and not only were all the vessels in the 
palace of its emperor made of gold and silver, but 
gold dust was so abundant that the natives sprinkled 
it all over their bodies, which they first anointed 
with a glutinous substance that it might stick 
to them. 

Men of other nations vied with the Spaniards in 
seeking these delusive regions. The fate of the 
expedition of the brave Sir Walter Raleigh is well 
known. It did not dispel these visionary ideas. 
Some of his men declared that they saw rocks shining 
with gold, and a mountain "containing diamonds 
and other valuable stones, the lustre of which was 
often seen to blaze at a considerable distance." 1 The 
acquisition of gold in other parts of America, by 
the Spaniards, seems to have inflamed the imagina- 
tion of men on the subject to the highest pitch. 
Otherwise it is difficult to account for the report of 
the captain and crew of an English vessel, which 
soon after explored the Marowini ; who declared 
that they saw on its banks " a gigantic race of men, 
who carried hoivs of gold \ " 2 whether for ornament 
or use we are not informed. 

i Vide Raleigh's Voyages. 2 Drake's Voyages, p. 296. 



EARLY COLONISTS. 



i 



Some of the adventurers, who from time to time 
set out on these wild expeditions, fell by the hands 
of the natives, others by famine and fatigue. Those 
who escaped seemed always to have been within a 
little of obtaining the object of their desires, although 
they always fell short of it. So late as the year 1770, 
the Governor of Spanish Guiana sent out an expedi- 
tion, of which only one man returned to tell the fate 
of Iris comrades. 1 

From these deluded votaries of Mammon, whose 
fate forbids us to smile, nothing could have been 
expected in the way of propagating the Gospel. 

When the Dutch first settled in the country, they 
adopted a surer way to wealth, by cultivating the 
fertile soil, which was not followed by the disap- 
pointment attending the seekers of El Dorado. 

They, however, as well as the colonists from other 
countries, were fiercely attacked by the natives, among 
whom the Caribs were predominant, who destroyed 
their settlements ; but afterwards they became on 
better terms with them, and as the Indians saw that 
they were satisfied with procuring slaves from Africa, 
and made no attempt to deprive them of their liberty, 
they ceased hostilities, and being gratified by the 
frequent distributibn of presents, became of great 
service to the colonists, by hunting down such unfor- 
tunate negroes as fled to the woods for liberty. 
These efforts were always liberally rewarded. 2 

1 Edinburgh Journal, Pt, LXY. 

2 Though the Dutch colonists made no attack on the Indian tribes 
for the purpose of enslaving them, yet they encouraged the Indians in 



58 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



It was not always the reward which instigated 
these cruel deeds, but oftentimes self-defence. The 
Maroon negroes, as they were called, knowing the 
dislike of the Indians, and their resentment against 
them as intruders into their territories, waged exter- 
minating war when they had absconded in sufficient 
numbers, in order to make good then position. 
"When a solitary negro ran away, he was reduced by 
hunger to the necessity of coming by night to the 
field of the Indian, and robbing it. As soon as the 
depredation was discovered, the poor wretch was 
tracked, if possible, to his lurking place, and either 
taken alive or put to death. Sometimes, however, 
the Indian took no notice, but waited till a clear 
moonlight night, when he placed himself upon a rude 
frame among the branches of a tree, and shot the 
unfortunate marauder as he would have done any 
wild beast. 

While these deeds were encouraged and rewarded 
by the colonists themselves, it is quite evident that 
nothing could be attempted on their parts in the 
way of religious instruction of the Indians. The 
baleful effects of slavery extend to others as well as 
to the slaves. 

the capture of each other, and purchased the slaves so taken, Such 
was the deplorable state of the colony at that time. 

It is. however, certain that the system of enslaving each other did 
not then commence, out has existed among the Aborigines of Guiana 
from the earliest times. Francis Sparrow, a contemporary of Sir W. 
Raleigh. iC bought, to the southward of the Orinoco, eight beautiful 
young women, the eldest not eighteen years of aa'e. for a red- ji; 
knife, the value of which at that rime in England was but one 
halfpenny." — Brake's Voyages^ p. .095. 



THE MORAVIAN'S. 



59 



Yet the Indians were not inaccessible even in those 
evil times to the power of the Gospel. This appeared 
from the success which attended the labours of the 
Moravians, the good effects of which are still percep- 
tible. These devoted men laboured with the greatest 
zeal, and amid difficulties of no ordinary character, 
from 1738 to about the close of the century, in the 
Berbice and Corentyn. 

The Rev. H. Redwar, who visited the latter river in 
1839, heard an old blind man sing the long-cherished 
and well-remembered hymns which he had learned 
from the Moravians when a boy at their school. I 
have myself spoken with aged Indians who remem- 
bered the last Moravian Missionaries. After these 
missions were given up, the religious instruction of 
the Indians was totally neglected for many years ; and 
although, after the emancipation, their services were 
no longer required as allies against the negroes, and 
the annual presents made to them were discontinued, 
yet no public efforts were at that time made to im- 
part Christian knowledge, and induce them to adopt 
civilized habits. They did not share with the negroes 
in that great privilege. 

Fresh efforts for their conversion began on the 
Essequibo, at Bartica. This Mission was commenced 
in 1829, by Mr. Armstrong, who for four years bore 
alone the burden and heat of the day, the difficulties 
and trials which accompany the first introduction of 
the Gospel among heathen tribes. He dwelt in a 
thatched hut, and travelled from place to place 
among the people. After a time a rude chapel- 



60 



BEITISH GUIANA. 



school was erected. This mission was continued by 
the labours of the Eev. Mr. Youd. Mr. Youd soon 
after undertook a mission to the Macusi tribe in the 
distant parts of the interior, the Rev. J. H. Bernan 
having taken charge of the mission in Bartica, in 
which he has since been assisted by the labours of 
Mr. Christian, and other excellent men. I visited 
this station in 1840, and was much gratified by what 
I saw there. It was then much improved, and a 
new chapel, &c. have since been erected. 

A mission to the westward, in the river Pomeroon, 
was resolved on in 1839, and commenced in the fol- 
lowing year. 1840 was also remarkable as the year 
in which the Rev. W. Austin commenced his work 
among the Indians of Ituribisi, and for the foundation 
of a mission station at Waraputa on the Essequibo by 
Mr. Youd, who had been expelled by Brazilian inter- 
ference from the Macusi mission at Pirara. 

In the year 1844 two new missions were under- 
taken, the one at Waramuri, near the Pomeroon, and 
the other on the river Mahaiconi, to the eastward of 
the Demerara. Other efforts were also made to 
extend and carry out the work, particularly among 
the Indians of Capoue. 

The stations commenced by Mr. Armstrong and 
Mr. Youd have been supported by the praiseworthy 
efforts of the Church Missionary Society. A full 
account of them, and a sketch of the labours of the 
Moravians during the last century, was published in 
1847, by the senior missionary at Bartica, which 
leaves nothing to desire on either of these points. 



NUMEROUS TRIBES AXD LANGUAGES. 



61 



No account having been given of the other exist- 
in^ missions which are enumerated above, and which 
(with the exception of the work at Ituribisi) are sup- 
ported by the Society for the Propagation of the 
Gospel in Foreign Parts, it has seemed not only desi- 
rable but necessary to bring this large field of labour 
before the Christian public. 

The first and grand difficulty in the way of the 
Missionary is the number of distinct tribes, and 
their various languages. This meets us at the 
threshold of our work. One who has had a better 
opportunity than any other of examining the country 
thus writes : — " The number of vocabularies which I 
collected during my voyages was eighteen, none of 
which bear a closer affinity to each other than the 
French and Italian/' 1 

Several of these may have been collected beyond 
the British frontier, but from this statement will 
appear the excessive difficulty of preaching the 
Gospel to so many different nations, the most 
numerous of which only consists of a few thousand 
individuals. Our missionaries seem to need, not 
only the graces of the Holy Spirit, but a portion of 
those wondrous gifts which were bestowed on then 
predecessors at the day of Pentecost. 

This difference of language is a most remarkable 
fact in the history of the American continent, and 
has forcibly impressed the minds of many learned 
men. One of the most striking instances of it is 
seen immediately on quitting the coast of Guiana. 

1 Sir H. Schombnrgk. 



62 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Three of the tribes, the Arawak, Warau, and Caribi, 
may be found residing close together, and they have 
done so for at least three centuries; and yet no 
intermixture seems to have taken place in their 
respective languages. They are of decidedly different 
origin, and remain distinct. 

These three tribes, with the Wacawoios, have been 
the principal objects of missionary laboiu. 

The first of these, the Arawak, is the most 
numerous, and the least barbarous of all the tribes 
near the coast. Their settlements are scattered in 
an extended line within a hundred miles of the sea, 
from the Orinoco to the Marowini. Their ideas of 
spiritual things are those expressed in the beginning 
of this chapter. The names, or rather titles, by 
which they designate the Supreme Being are beauti- 
fully simple. They call him Wacinaci (our Father), 
Wanxurreti-kwonci (our Maker), and Aiomun Kondi 
(the Dweller on high). Their sorcerers are called 
Semicici, and the evil principle Yauhahu. 

The Warau tribe comes next. Their settlements 
are very numerous along the swampy coast district 
extending from Pomeroon to the Orinoco, the delta 
of which seems to be their head-quarters ; and a 
few may be found as far east as Surinam. They 
possess some good qualities, but are dirty and im- 
provident. They sometimes use the name Kororo- 
mana when speaking of God, but it is dubious what 
ideas some of them attach to that name. The evil 
spirit they call Hebo.. 

The Caribi tribe, famous in history, and regarded 



SETTLEMENTS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. 



(33 



with awe by the others even now when verging to 
extinction, is the next met with. Their settlements 
are more inland than either of the former tribes, 
but so irregularly located that no correct idea can 
be formed except by the assistance of a map. In 
general they are found at some little distance from 
those of the Arawaks, with whom they were often 
at war in former times. Their numbers have been 
variously estimated at 300, 500, and even so low as 
100. Nothing is more difficult than to number 
these scattered and wandering tribes, which are more 
numerous than is generally supposed. We have in 
the neighbourhood of our missions to the westward 
nearly 400 of this tribe, whose existence seems to 
have been unknown to those who estimated their 
number as above. They have, however, rapidly 
diminished during the last century, chiefly by epi- 
demic diseases, and will probably be extinct in 
British Guiana ere many years have elapsed, unless 
the efforts made for their conversion be conducive to 
their temporal welfare likewise, which by the divine 
blessing may be the case. They call the Great Father, 
Tamosi, and the evil spirit, Yourika. 

The Wacawoios are the most wandering in their 
habits of all the tribes. Their language seems to be , 
a dialect of the Caribisi, as individuals of the two 
tribes understand each other without much diffi- 
culty. 

This preliminary sketch seemed necessary to 
impart to the English reader some general idea of 
the nature of our work. A more particular account 



64 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



will be given, as each tribe passes under our notice 
in the course of the following narrative. 

There is, however, one tribe yet unnoticed, of 
considerable importance. This is the Macnsi. which 
occupies the open savannahs in the distant interior. 
Schoniburgk estimates the total number of this tribe 
at about 3,000. The site of the mission which was 
undertaken by the Eev. Mi. Youd to these people 
was first fixed at Pirara, in the neighbourhood of 
which is a small lake called Amucu, which is sup- 
posed, from the geological structure of the adjoining 
country, to have been much larger formerly than it 
is at present. It is supposed to have given origin 
to the fable of the lake Parima, and El Dorado. 1 
This, which may in a measure be regarded as classic 
ground, was the spot first selected for a mission to 
the Macusis. Its fate is thus recorded by the learned 
traveller above mentioned. Speaking of Mr. Youd, 
he says : — 

" The Indians soon collected around him, and 
evinced the greatest anxiety to be instructed in the 
word of God, and our language. I have seen from 
three to four hundred Indians on a sabbath, dressed 
according to their circumstances, and in an orderly 
manner, assembled within a rude house of prayer 

1 Humboldt says : — " Here, in a river called Parima. and a small 
lake connected with it called Amucu, we have basis enough on which 
to found the belief of the great lake bearing the name of the former ; 
and in the islets and rocks of mica-slate and talc which rise up within 
and around the latter, reflecting from their sinning surfaces the rays of 
an ardent sun, we have materials out of wlrich to form that gorgeous 
capital whose temples and houses were overlaid with plates of beaten 
gold." 



MISSION AT PIRARA. 



6-5 



built by their own hands, to receive instruction in the 
holy word of God. The mission was not established 
many months, when the Brazilian government of the 
upper and lower Amazon despatched a detachment 
of militia, and took possession of the mission, under 
the plea that the village belonged to the Brazilian 
territory. The missionary of the church of England 
was accused of having alienated the Indians from 
the Brazilian government, and instructed them in 
the English language and religion, and received an 

o © © © " 

injunction to leave the village. The Indians, fearing 
lest the Brazilians might conduct them into slavery, 
dispersed in the forest and in the mountains, and 
the work which promised such favourable results 
was destroyed." 1 It was found necessary, by our 
government, to send a military expedition to recover 
possession of Pirara. 

Driven from Pirara, Mr. Youd attempted a second 
mission at Waraputa, as before related, but this, 
though ably conducted, first by himself, and after- 
wards by his successor, the Rev. Mr. Pollitt, 2 never 
gave prospect of so plentiful a harvest of souls as 
the former. At Georgetown, in 1840, I had the 
pleasure of meeting Mr. Youd, who had just arrived 
there after his expulsion from the scene of his 
promising labours. He was accompanied by a great 
number of Indians, who were resolved to share his 
fortunes, and it was delightful to see the reverential 
obedience which these wild looking people paid to 

1 Description of British Guiana, p. 56. 

2 Now S. P. G. Missionary at Buna Burra, in South Australia. 

? 



66 



BRITISH GUIANA, 



him. Most of these were Maeusis, but there were 
also some of the Caribi tribe, among whom was Irai, 
the chief of that tribe on the Essequibo, a descendant 
of Mahanarva, a chief of great note in the beginning 
of the present century. This young man was dis- 
tinguished from the others, who went in procession 
with Mr. Youd to wait on the governor, by a large 
crescent of gold set in a frame of polished wood, 
which he wore on his bosom. 

The mission to Pirara was by far the brightest 
attempt which has yet been made, in the way of 
missionary enterprise, in Guiana. It was, perhaps, 
unadvisable to go as far as the disputed boundary 
to establish a mission, yet the event could not have 
been foreseen, and the prospect of the great good to 
be wrought justified the attempt. For who can 
estimate the bearing of a prosperous mission in the 
centre of Guiana on the work at large ? Its effects 
would not have been confined to the Macusis alone, 
but would have gradually extended themselves among 
more distant and barbarous tribes \ while, in the 
other direction, its reflected influence would have 
aided that which emanated from the missions near 
the coast. 

It is, indeed, difficult to combine the wisdom 
necessary for these undertakings, with that zeal which 
it is incumbent on all to feel, who would obey the 
great command, " Go ye and teach all nations." 

When it is considered that the distance of Pirara 
from Georgetown is probably not less than three 
hundred miles, and that the river is interrupted by 



FATE OF THE MACUSI MISSION. 



07 



cataracts and numerous rapids, which, with the 
strong current, render the labour of ascending it 
verv great, and of some weeks' duration, a just 
estimate may be formed of the zeal of this inde- 
fatigable missionary ; who, in the attempt, lost his 
family by sickness, and, eventually, his own life. 
Worn out with trials, privations, and sickness, he 
has long since gone to his rest, (having died at sea,) 
but his example remains for others to follow. He 
has shewn, what might otherwise have been doubted, 
that the Indians who are too remote to feel the 
slightest influence of civilization, are accessible to 
that of the Gospel of Christ. 

* Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy 
power." 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE INDIAN MISSION ON THE POMEBOON. 

Situation — Causes which led to the foundation of the Mission — first 
residence of the ^Missionary — Unsuccessful efforts among the 
Waraus and Arawaks — First converts — Visit to the Chief and 
settlements of the Arawaks — Its results — Sickness of the Mission- 
ary — Progress of the Gospel. 

Considerably to the westward of the cultivated part 
of the coast of Essequibo, is a spot which is marked 
on most maps as Cape Nassau. It is at the mouth 
of the river Ponieroon, and on its eastern bank. 
Adjoining this is a small estuary, or rather hay, 
into which flows the river Monica, from a different 
direction ; which drains a large tract of country still 
further to the westward. 

The Porneroom or Boururna, (as it is called by the 
Indians.) is of small size when compared with some 
other rivers in the colony. Its source is probably 
in the Sierra Imataca. which is a mountainous ridge 
stretching from the Essequibo to the Orinoco, and 
gives rise to many large' streams. 

The Dutch formed their earliest settlement, which 
they called Nieuw Zealand, near the Porneroom as 
early as 1-580 ; and in the course of the following 
century erected towns on its banks, and on those of the 



VISIT OF BISHOP COLERIDGE. 



69 



Monica. These have long since perished. The only 
remains of their settlements are the bricks, which may 
be found in some places embedded in the earth. 

The Indians again resumed the possession of their 
lands, and with the exception of a very few settlers, 
form their sole occupants at the present day. 
Pomeroon is inhabited by the Arawakand Caribi tribes, 
who are also found on the tributaries of the Monica ; 
but the latter stream may be properly said to be in 
the country of the Waraus, who are there found in 
great numbers. In the whole district, the Indians 
are probably more numerous than in any other part 
of the colony. 

Nothing had been attempted in the way of Mis- 
sionary enterprise among them, previously to the 
yisit of Bishop Coleridge ; who, accompanied by 
Archdeacon Austin, (the present Bishop of Guiana,) 
went through that part of the country in 1839. 
The plan of the mission originated, (I belieye,) with 
the late Bey. J. H. Duke, who had become ac- 
quainted with the numbers and condition of the 
Indians in the course of his pastoral visits to the 
settlers on the banks of the river. 

The representations of the Bishop to the Society 
for the Propagation of the Gospel, were responded to 
by the immediate appointment of two Missionaries ; 
one in holy orders, the other a lay assistant, who 
were sent out with directions to proceed to the 
Pomeroon as soon as possible, and endeavour to 
establish a Mission there. 

The appointment of two persons to commence a 



70 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



work of this kind is most desirable, and in accord- 
ance with the example set by our Lord himself. 
They form a support in mutual labour, and a safe- 
guard to each other against many spiritual dangers. 
A chain of circumstances, in the present instance, 
however, prevented this excellent arrangement from 
being carried out. The Rev. C. Carter was un- 
avoidably prevented from going to the proposed 
mission, and the office of commencing it de- 
volved upon myself. As I was till 1850 the sole 
missionary in the upper part of the Pomeroon, the 
history of this mission must of necessity be given in 
the form of a personal narrative. Though a task of 
delicacy, this is perhaps the best, as it is the only 
way. A better idea is thereby conveyed of the 
various scenes of Indian life, and of the hopes, dis- 
appointments, encouragements, trials, and vicissi- 
tudes, which befal those who engage in the awfully 
responsible, yet deeply interesting work, of extending 
the kingdom of the Redeemer in heathen lands. 

The site selected for the mission was at the 
junction of the Pomeroon with its tributary the 
Arapiaco, about forty-three miles from the mouth 
of the former. It was well chosen ; as all the canoes 
from the upper and lower parts of the river must 
pass by the spot, on their way to the cultivated 
part of the coast of Essequibo \ with which there is 
a communication by a chain of smaller streams, and 
the Tapacuma lake. 

On the banks of the Arapiaco, just above the con- 
fluence of the rivers, which there form a fine sheet 



SITE OF THE FUTURE MISSION. 



71 



of water, there is a small strip of land, which had 
been cleared, and was formerly inhabited by a gang 
of negroes employed in cutting wood. These negroes, 
at the expiration of the apprenticeship, had taken 
the earliest opportunity of quitting the rivers for the 
society of their gayer brethren on the coast. There 
were still standing, in the beginning of 1840, three 
cottages or huts which had been occupied by them. 

There was also a wooden building, which had 
been used as a place of worship, when the settlers of 
the district were visited by a clergyman, or an 
itinerant catechist, who had frequently performed 
divine service there. It was, when I first saw it. 
in a most wretched state ; the thatched roof being- 
full of large holes, and several of the window shutters 
having fallen off. There was free access to the wind 
and rain. Not having been used for a long time, 
it was almost inaccessible from the long grass and 
weeds which grew all round in rank luxuriance. 
The frame of the building was, however, quite 
sound, though the boarded sides and floor were 
much decayed. This was to be the future mission 
chapel. 

Though the Indians themselves live in a rude and 
primitive way, yet they form their estimate of a 
white man, in a great degree, from the appearance of 
his abode, and the comforts which surround him. 
A great obstruction to the establishment of the 
mission arose from the situation and nature of my 
first dwelling-place, which it is necessary briefly to 
describe. 



72 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



One of the three huts before mentioned was 
occupied by an old white sail-maker, who was sick 
with ague and fever, and soon after left the place. 
The next was the dwelling of an old negro woman, 
named Jeannette, who had several black children 
residing with her. The third was at my service. 
It was a singular and not very inviting residence : 
the front was boarded and covered with shingles (or 
wooden tiles) ; the two ends were of shingles nailed 
upon laths, and the back was composed of the split 
trunks of the manicole palms, covered on the out- 
side with the leaves of the trooly. The roof was 
also thatched, but the thatch was full of holes. 
It was divided by partitions of rough boards 
into three apartments, two of which had boarded 
floors resting on the earth, and very much de„ 
cayed ; and the third had apparently been used 
for some light kinds of blacksmith's work, a block of 
very tough wood standing firmly fixed in the earthen 
floor, which had been used as an anvil. The situa- 
tion of the building being low, the water appeared 
between the chinks of the old floor, when the river 
was swollen by the spring tides, and a number of 
small frogs were accustomed to come out in wet 
weather, and spring upon the walls ; one part of 
which being very damp and green, seemed to possess 
particular attractions for them. The roof was open, 
and flakes of mingled soot and cobwebs, which had 
been long collecting there, were continually falling, 
as the insects w T hich abounded disturbed and shook 
them down. There was, also, a large nest of wood- 



FIRST RESIDENCE. 



73 



ants, which were devouring different pails of the 
building. These were destroyed by a dose of arsenic, 
furnished by a respectable settler in the neighbour- 
hood, who also kindly sent a man to whitewash the 
inside of the walls, which were in a filthy condition, 
and abounded with vermin. 

To this wild spot I was welcomed by the old negro 
woman, who engaged in my service with the greatest 
willingness; and, indeed, without her help it would 
have been impossible to have remained there. She 
had a black lad living with her, about eleven years 
old, whom I got to sling his hammock with me in 
my new abode, not thinking it quite safe to sleep 
there alone. The first night we were disturbed by 
some creature getting in at a hole in the roof, which 
my companion said was a tiger-cat. I was more 
apprehensive of snakes, which abounded there; but 
we had no opportunity of ascertaining the nature of 
our unwelcome visitor, as it was perfectly dark ; and 
being alarnied at the noise we made, it effected a 
hasty retreat, and returned no more. 

Having no furniture, it became necessary to borrow 
some for present use. This was difficult. However, 
a table with three legs was procured, and the place 
of a fourth supplied with a stick from a neighbouring 
tree. It was, after all, so rickety that it could only 
stand against the wall. A small wooden chair was 
also obtained, the seat of which being lower in front 
than behind, the person sitting in it had a tendency 
to slip off. It was quite a curiosity in its way, and 
why it was made so it was difficult to conceive. A 



74 BRITISH GUIAXA. 

small bench or form supplied a more convenient' 
seat. In other respects we managed somewhat better, 
being supplied from a wood-cutting establishment, 
where there was a small store, or shop, from whence 
rice, plantains, salt-fish, and pork might be pro- 
cured, which formed almost my only diet for several 
months. This, with the damp situation, was inju- 
rious to health, though other inconveniences were 
trifling, and it was impossible to refrain from smiling 
at the grotesque appearance of the dwelling and its 

The rivers being in front, and a swampy forest 
behind us. we were obliged to go by water whenever 
we wished to leave the place, and a canoe was lent 
me for two or three months, till an opporttuoity 
presented itself of purchasing one. 

Divine service was commenced on the Sunday in 
the decayed chapel before mentioned : but it was 
very thinly attended. The former congregation of 
negroes was almost gone, and very few settlers ever 
came. 

A school was then commenced with two or three 
black and coloured children, whose parents could be 
induced to send them. The task of instructing 
negro children is by no means a pleasant one. at 
least at the commencement. Then parents, who 
wish to bring up then clhldren according to their 
ideas of what is right, trust entirely to severity, and 
use the lash unsparingly. Nor did those among 
whom I was thrown hesitate to use certain kinds of 
torture. A black girl having been guilty of a trifling 



XEGRO SETTLEES, 



75 



theft, her mother roasted a lime, or small kind of 
lemon, and forced her to grasp it in her hands, which 
she held tightly compressed within her own, till the 
palms were severely burnt. At times the girl had to 
hold up a brick, till, being exhausted, she let it drop. 
On another occasion I found on the opposite bank 
of the river three women chastising a girl. They 
had stripped her, and two held her extended by the 
hands and feet, while the third flowed her. In everv 

7 CO 

such case further punishment was remitted on my 
intercession ; but they always said, — u Ah, Sir ; you 
do not know us negroes ! If black children are not 
well flogged they never do good." 

The young negroes, in consequence, certainly treat 
their parents and elders with much outward respect \ 
but they are vicious and little to be trusted, as may 
be supposed from the training they have received. 
They seem to feel great delight in seeing each other 
punished, and in holding the culprit while the chas- 
tisement is inflicted, even if their own turn is to 
come next. 

The great object in view being the conversion of 
the Indian tribes, some Waraus, who were em- 
ployed in cutting trooly leaves in the neighbourhood, 
became the next objects of attention. In order to 
visit them, it was necessary for me to paddle myself 
across the river every evening, assisted by the negro 
boy. I found them a very wild party, both in their 
appearance and manners. It was, indeed, hardly 
possible to look at their degraded condition, especi- 
ally that of the females, without deep commiseration, 



70 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and an earnest prayer that they might soon feel the 
blessed influences of the gospel, and be led to sit 
clothed at the feet of the Lord Jesus. An elderly 
man named Manwaiko was then- capitan. or chief. 
He was as ignorant of our language as any of his 
people. I endeavoured to enter into conversation 
with him. but everything connected with religion was 
distasteful, and he invariably answered in the jargon 
of the rivers. " me no sabby*' (I do not understand.) 
When he spoke to me. I was equally at a loss to 
comprehend his meaning. 

Hoping to get on by degrees, I asked him the 
names of different objects in his language, and wrote 
them down to commit to memory. This at once 
interested him ; and it is indeed a .passport to the 
favour of every Indian, to express an interest in his 
language. We were soon on friendly terms, and his 
people, as well as himself, began to look for my 
arrival every evening after they had done work. 
They could not, however, be induced to visit me. or 
to attend Divine service on the Sunday. They said 
they had no clothes, which was indeed true. 

On one Sunday morning, a black man brought 
five Waraus to the chapel. They were mostly dressed 
in red woollen shirts, and some of them had on their 
heads high-peaked caps, a natural production of the 
trooly tree. They had no trowsers. shoes, nor any 
other apparel. They seemed divided between a con- 
sciousness of unusual finery, and a nervous appre- 
hension of the supernatural consequences of attending 
our worship \ but every other feeling seemed lost in 



WARAU FAMILY. 



mirth, when one of them, wishing to kneel, lost his 
balance, and nearly overturned one or two of the 
others. Their behaviour after this was so irreverent, 
that it was a relief when they left our humble place 
of worship. These incidents, though painfully 
annoying, must be expected at first, among barba- 
rous and heathen people. 

All efforts among the Waraus seemed perfectly 
fruitless, as far as regarded their spiritual welfare. 
I thought that a faint glimmering ray of truth 
began to break in upon the darkness of their minds 
at last, but they left the neighbourhood in two 
months time, the period for which they had engaged 
to work having expired. 

Manwaiko had two wives, and each of these had a 
family of young children. His eldest daughter was 
a girl of about ten years of age, and a fine young- 
man of the party was pointed out to me as her 
husband ; the Indian girls being betrothed at a very 
early age. Between the two wives and their respec- 
tive children, little kindness seemed to exist. One 
evening, shortly before their departure, while the 
whole party were squatting on the ground, eating 
their supper, which consisted of salt-fish and pounded 
plantains, called " foo-foo," being the rations pro- 
vided by their employer, one of the wives, who with 
her children had been employed in cutting firewood, 
discovered, on her return, that the supper for herself 
and familv was not to be found, having been carried 
off by some animal through the neglect or connivance 
of her rival. It could hardly be expected that she 



7S 



BRITISH GUJAXA. 



would sit down quietly without the evening meal 
for her children, even if disposed to submit as re- 
garded herself ; and she accordingly applied to Man- 
waiko for a share of his allowance, which was rather 
ample. He treated her request with great contempt, 
and hardly vouchsafed her a denial. She then 
commenced a furious torrent of abuse; dining which 
he finished his meal with great composure ; until, 
being irritated at his indifference, she at last told 
him that he was no capitan." no father, and no 
man. He was rather roused by this last remark, 
and in a stern hoarse voice said something which 
seemed to silence her. but I do not know whether 
any additional allowance was procured ; and finding 
it impossible to do any good I left them. 

I never have seen such a stormy ebullition of 
temper among the other tribes, and think it is rare 
in the Indian families : though, where polygamy is 
practised, there continual variance and ill-feeling are 
to be found. 

Before this party went awav. the old chief, calling 
one of his men. desired him to bring me a paper in 
his possession. This I found to be a certificate 
signed by a priest of the Chinch of Eome. stating 
that he, on such a date, " baptized Christopher, a 
vTarau." On my making enquiries, they gave me 
to understand that the man. who was called Kobus, 
and some others, had received directions from one 
of their head men to go to the priest, and receive 
each a paper, to which baptism was the preliminary. 
I could not find, (though I should have been most 



FRUITLESS EFFORTS. 



79 



glad to have done so) that poor Kobus knew any- 
thing of onr Lord Jesus Christ, or even that there 
was a Saviour existing. When I told him that his 
name was no longer Kobus, but Christopher, he 
laughed ; repeated " Kistoba " several times, to 
commit it to memory ; and with his comrades 
seemed excessively amused with the idea. I have 
no doubt but he is reckoned among the converts of 
the Church of Rome, — an easy conversion : where 
there was not even a knowledge of his Christian name. 

There are no Warau settlements in the Pomeroon. 
I did not know this at first ; but seeing that there 
were many of that tribe employed near me, thought 
that their dwellings were not far off. However, that 
party lived more than one hundred and fifty miles 
away, and were brought from that distance by the 
settlers, as their work is cheaper and more profitable 
than that of the tribes inhabiting the river. 

These efforts with the Warau s having proved in- 
effectual, as far as human eye could see, and the 
only result being the acquisition of a very small 
vocabulary of their language, which proved useful in 
after times, I found that the only prospect of esta- 
bhshing a mission was among the people of the river. 
We were in the country of the Arawaks, and I had 
already had frequent interviews with them in their 
canoes on the river, but now resolved to devote 
my humble efforts exclusively to their benefit, — at 
least for the present. 

The external appearance of the Arawaks is very 
superior to that of the Warau s ; — not that they are 



80 



BBITISH GUIANA. 



superior in size and strength, but they have a more 
civilized appearance and manner, and greater cleanli- 
ness of person. The women seldom appeared on the 
river without putting on the u kimisa \ " and their 
hair, which is thick and long, was generally neatly 
braided, and, in some instances, secured by orna- 
ments of silver at the back of the head. Some indi- 
viduals were remarkable for oeauty of face and form, 
and most of them were less squalid in figure, and 
possessed finer and more intelligent features than the 
females of the other tribes. The men of this tribe 
generally wore a shirt at least, with sometimes a 
covering for the head. 

Many of the younger men knew the broken 
English spoken on the rivers, and with them I was 
able to converse, though with the greatest difficulty 
on religious subjects, which appeared, even when 
expressed in the plainest manner, to mystify them 
exceedingly. The older men used the Creole-Dutch 
in their inter course with the settlers, and with this 
I was unacquainted. The females spoke nothing but 
their own beautiful language ; although some indi- 
viduals knew enough of ours to comprehend the 
meaning of a few sentences expressed in the simplest 
form. 

I frequently fell in with them on the river, but 
was sorry to find that the message of salvation met 
with no better reception. They possessed a natural 
courtesy, which prevented them from reviling or 
insult ; but it was very evident that they looked on 
the missionary as a troublesome person. 



REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL. 



81 



They never would visit my abode, though often 
invited to do so ; and when they called at the 
cottage of the old negro woman, they took their leave 
when they perceived me approaching to speak to 
them. By commencing a school for the five or six 
black and mulatto children in the neighbourhood. 
I had hoped to attract the Indians also ; but the 
antipathy of their race to the negroes rendered it 
anything but an attraction to them. One Indian 
alone promised to send me his son, and he broke his 
word. 

To push off in my canoe, and stop them as they 
were passing, was the only means of intercourse left ; 
and it was soon mortifying to see them paddle quickly 
by with as little noise as possible, keeping on the 
opposite side to escape observation. One man, more 
plain in his speech than the rest, expressed the 
general sentiment of his tribe (and, I may add, of 
the Indians generally) in words to the following 
effect, being an answer to my request that he would 
listen to the Word of God : — " My father knew not 
your book, and my grandfather knew not your book ; 
they understood more than we ; we do not wish to 
learn what they did not know." This indifference 
was very painful, but the man spoke the truth boldly, 
and I appreciated his candour, though grieved at their 
obstinate resolution to remain in blindness. 

These people respect no one until he becomes a 
" habeci," or elder ; consequently, a very young man 
labours, humanly speaking, under great disadvan- 
tages among them. They would have listened more 

G 



82 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



readily to the words of a person in holy orders, 
though only on account of his superior years. But 
the greatest cause of their unwillingness arose from 
the fact, which I afterwards discovered, — that the 
" serni-cici," or sorcerers, foreseeing the loss of their 
gains and influence, if the Gospel were received, had 
forbidden the people to hold intercourse with me, 
denouncing sickness and death against them if they 
did so. 

Some time had now elapsed since I first com- 
menced the work among them ; and I felt the pre- 
monitory symptoms of sickness. The Eev. Mr- 
Duke had given orders to a settler for the erection 
of the mission cottage about eight months before ; 
and the posts and roof had been put up, but no 
further steps as yet taken to finish it. The situa- 
tion was low, and the ground flooded by the rains 
and high tides ; one morning, indeed, the canoe was 
found to have floated into the forest at the back of 
the houses, during the night. The discomforts of this 
wild and solitary situation were small things, how- 
ever, compared with the total failure of the efforts 
for the conversion of the heathen. It was, indeed, 
wrong to despond, but difficult, at times, to avoid it. 
" Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." 

One day, about noon, I was surprised by a visit 
from an Indian, who was accompanied by his son, 
a little boy about five years of age ; and I was still 
more surprised when, after a friendly salutation on 
his part, he asked me if I would instruct his child. 
I had never seen the man before, and could hardly 



INTERESTING INTERVIEW. 



83 



believe him serious in his request. He was, however, 
perfectly iu earnest, and said that he had just re- 
turned to his " place," after a long absence, and had 
now come to see me as soon as he heard of my 
arrival among his people. He was not so well 
acquainted with English as some of the younger men, 
but we managed to understand each other's meaning, 
helping out the words by signs and gestures ; and an 
hour or two passed away more pleasantly than any 
I had experienced for a long time. He had been 
to the mouth of the Essequibo, and had seen what 
was doing there. 

I endeavoured to ascertain the state of his mind, 
and he answered my inquiries, as far as he was able, 
with much frankness. He seemed to have his eyes 
open to the state of the Indians, as living " without 
God in the world," and expressed disgust at the 
superstition of his countrymen in serving devils. 
Some time afterwards T found out that he had been 
himself a sorcerer, but becoming disgusted with the 
practice, had broken his magical gourd, and cast 
away the fragments, previously to his placing himself 
under instruction. He did not tell me of this at 
first, probably fearing that I should reject his appli- 
cation, not being aware, as yet, that past sins are 
no bar, but rather a reason why we should flee unto 
Christ for salvation. 

He had been a great traveller for one of his tribe, 
having been a long way up the Essequibo, and he 
was also well acquainted with the lower part of the 
Orinoco. Though no recognised chief, he was the 



84 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



principal man at his settlement, and possessed of 
rather extensive family influence among his people. 
He as small in stature, and consequently rather 
mean in his appearance, but possessed keen eyes, and 
his black hah was more than usually inclined to curl : 
from this he had derived his Indian name, which he 
told me was " Saci-barra," (good or beautiful hair.) 

Though fully believing in the existence of God, 
and desirous of serving him, he seemed to have no 
idea of the only Mediator between God and man, 
and was lost when I spoke of the Redeemer. He 
seemed, however, to be firmly convinced of the 
impossibility of knowing the way to the "great 
our Father" without revelation from God himself, 
and promised to come every Saturday, and stay till 
Monday morning, that he might see his child, and 
himself receive instruction. 

I would willingly have kept the boy with me, but 
he said he was not prepared as yet to leave him, 
and seemed hurt at the distrust implied. He said 
Ms words were true, and I had, a day or two after, 
proof that they were so, by his bringing not only 
the boy, but his eldest daughter, a girl eight years 
of age, whom he placed with me, assuring me that 
all his children should be brought as soon as they 
were old enough. 

After some further conversation he returned to 
his canoe, went home, and induced his wife to 
come with him on the following Sunday ; and the 
next week a company, consisting of the four sisters 
of his wife, with the husbands of three of them, two 



BRIGHTER PROSPECTS. 



85 



other individuals, and the children of several of the 
party, nearly filled my humble habitation, and in- 
creased the number of Indian children at school to 
four. These of course had to be taught their 
alphabet, and the adults likewise, who all expressed 
their determination to learn God's word, to which 
the majority have constantly adhered. 

Saci-barra, or Cornelius, (by which name he was 
baptized in the course of the next year,) was regular 
in supplying his children with food. I also experi- 
enced the benefit, as they frequently supplied me 
with game, so that I was not so much confined, as 
before, to salt provisions, or the small quantity of 
fish I could catch in the river. 

Such was the commencement of the work in the 
Pomeroon. A single Indian, whom I had never 
seen, was induced, by his secret convictions, to come 
forward in defiance of the sorcerers of his tribe, and 
break, by his example, the spell which seemed to 
counteract the humble efforts made to introduce the 
Gospel in that part of the country. I have been 
minute in describing these circumstances of the 
foundation of the mission, in compliance with the 
request of those whose judgment I respect, and 
whose wishes I am bound to regard, and also because 
no portion of the eventual success can be ascribed to 
the labours of the missionary, but proceeded froni 
God alone, whose Spirit had prepared the hearts of 
this interesting family. 

The Gospel now seemed likely to take root among 
this tribe, and we obtained an additional attendant. 



86 



BEITISH GUIANA. 



the father of the women before mentioned. My 
little hut would by no means hold all, so they 
suspended their hammocks beneath the roof of the 
future mission dwelling. Matters being in this 
encouraging state, I felt anxious to extend the sphere 
of labour, but resolved to wait a short time before 
making any fresh attempt. The people with me, 
though well disposed, required much instruction, 
and from them and others I had heard much of the 
denunciations of their sorcerers. It might have 
been attended with ill consequences to have exposed 
them to probable persecution, which might have 
followed any hasty attempt, until they were at least 
grounded in the simplest doctrines of the Gospel. 

The following incident, however, led me to com- 
mence at once with other families of their tribe. 
While engaged one afternoon in teaching the little 
school, a violent thunder-storm came on, which com- 
pelled an Indian, with his wife and children, to bring 
their canoe to land for the purpose of seeking 
shelter. I saw them looking at our little abode, 
which they never before would visit, and asked them 
to enter till the storm abated. They did so, and 
the man seemed amazed at the sight of the Indian 
children learning their alphabet. After inquiring 
about his own children, to whom he seemed much 
attached, I pressed him to learn things good and 
profitable to eternal salvation, or at least to allow 
them to do so. He was moved, but would not yield, 
and seemed indignant that others should have dared 
to attend instruction without the consent of their 



VISIT TO THE CHIEF. 



87 



tribe, and said that before anything of the kind were 
done, the " capitan " should have made all of them ac- 
quainted with it. He was merely seeking to excuse 
himself, as I saw ; but to remove this objection, 
I asked him if he and his family would consider 
these things well, if laid before him by the mouth of 
the chief ? He answered that he would, and went 
his way, the storm having ceased. I could but look 
upon this incident as a call to bring the matter to 
an issue without delay. 

Accordingly I soon after visited the settlement of 
their chief in my small canoe, which had an unusual 
number of paddlers, there being myself, a black boy 
and girl, one of our Indian men, and his wife, who 
wished to accompany us. The chief we went to see 
had no more clothing, when we first met him, than 
the meanest individual of his tribe ; but after return- 
ing my salutation, he soon put on one or two 
European garments, and then entered into a long 
conversation. He was better acquainted with Eng- 
lish than any individual of his nation whom I had 
previously met with : but cared very little for 
spiritual things. There was, however, one point of 
advantage. He had seen and conversed with Bishop 
Coleridge the year before, and could not deny that 
he had given his assent to the Bishop's proposition, 
that he should induce his people to place themselves 
under Christian instruction. I now called on him 
to fulfil his words : and to set an example in his own 
person to all the others. 

His Indian name he told me was " Waramaraka," 



88 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



which is derived from the name of the ornamented 
gourd or rattle used by their sorcerers. He was how- 
ever known to the settlers by the name of John 
William. He was shrewd and intelligent ; but both 
himself and his people were much contaminated by 
intercourse with civilized persons, and very different 
from the simple-minded family who had joined me. 
They all attended, however, with outward reverence 
at our solemn worship that night in the forest. 

The next morning we again had family prayers ; 
after which he presented to me two fine lads, each 
about thirteen years of age ; and desired me to teach 
them. He then took his gun ; and the youths pro- 
vided themselves with hammocks, paddles, and their 
bows and arrows; and we all proceeded to visit the 
people at other settlements who acknowledged him 
as their head. I found myself regarded with great 
curiosity at the first place we came to : and after an 
interview of about an hour, during which we were 
regaled with crabs and cassava bread, and my com- 
panion was served with paiwari, (the intoxicating 
drink made by the Indians,) the mother of the 
family called her son " Ifili," a handsome youth of 
about eleven, and put on him a white shirt. The 
father then delivered him over to me, together with 
his sister, a little girl about seven years old. Both 
parents promised to visit me on the sabbath. We 
again embarked; our small craft being hardly able 
to contain us all. 

The settlements we had visited were on the 
Tapacuma, but we now re-entered the Arapiaco ; 



ARAWAK COURTESY. 



89 



and having landed, proceeded through the forest, 
following each other in Indian file along the nar- 
row path, to three other Indian places. We were 
received with great hospitality at each, and again 
feasted with crabs and cassava bread. The crabs 
were of a purple colour, and I at first wondered at 
finding them so far inland, but afterwards learned 
that the Indians go in their canoes to the sea, at 
certain seasons; and having first plastered their 
naked bodies with mud and clay to keep off the 
musquitoes, which are beyond measure annoying, 
they catch the crabs, and put them in krcalces, or 
small close baskets, with which they load their 
canoes, and return home to feast on them for several 
days. They are immoderately fond of them. Having 
already partaken of crabs as much as I wished, I 
felt compelled to decline taking any more : but my 
companion checked me, and said that I should give 
offence if I did not accept of all the food offered to 
me. " It is our fashion," said he; " if you are not 
able to eat it, you must carry it away with you." He 
conducted himself with great gravity, and was re- 
ceived with much ceremony. At every house we 
came to, the owner twice desired him to be seated ; 
and when the paiwari was brought, he was twice 
desired to drink ; and when he had drunk, the woman 
in attendance immediately took the bowl, replenished 
it, and offered it again. The same invitations to 
drink then followed from the observant host; and 
after he had again done so, he handed what remained 
to the boys. To every invitation to sit or to drink, 



90 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



or to any expression of civility whatever, the word 
" Waang," was the invariable response. This, an 
expression of polite acknowledgment, is almost the 
only word in their language of disagreeable Bound. 
They continually repeat it. being very polite to each 
other. 

At one house we found a man sitting in Ins ham- 
mock, and practising on a violin, which he had 
procured on a visit to the coast. 

My companion John William pointed out a spot 
in the forests as the place where he had once en- 
countered and killed a bush-master, a most dangerous 
snake. I congratulated him on this ; but remarked 
that strong drink was dangerous, and that he should 
not take so much as he had already done that day. 
He seemed greatly amused at such simplicity, as he 
considered it, and to convince me of the strength of 
his head, (a quality which they highly value.) he said 
that he could chink two bottles of English porter 
without being intoxicated. The warning was re- 
peated, but without effect. 

The last settlement we visited was much the 
largest, and contained the neatest houses. Here 
assembled the people from the places we had pre- 
viously visited. The same ceremonies were gone 
through, the same compliments passed, and paiwari 
was offered and drunk as before. I was then called 
on to explain the object of my visit, which I 
endeavoured to do faithfully, using the plainest terms 
I could think of. The chief followed my remarks 
with an explanatory speech, in the course of which, 



RESULTS OF THE VISIT. 



91 



when he stated niy wish that their children should 
be placed with me for instruction. I was surprised to 
see some of the little ones run to their mothers, who 
caught them up in their arms, looking at me with 
intense curiosity. It seemed as if the women half 
suspected me of some evil design against their 
children : and they were at first as little inclined to 
place them with me, as an English mother would be 
to give her darlings to the care of an Indian. 

All that I could get from these people was a pro- 
mise to talk the matter over : and as John William 
obstinately declined going any further that day, I 
was obliged to take my leave. Indeed he had drunk 
so much, that his presence would have been little 
assistance to the propagation of the Gospel any- 
where. I felt disgusted with him; a feeling which 
was fully shared by the Indian I had brought with 
me ; who, pointing to my foot, which had been cut 
in crossing a swamp, said, " You hurt yourself : but 
they mean to get drunk now, and will not mind 
your words." 

The results of this little expedition were, on the 
whole, of a favourable character. It imparted an 
additional knowledge of Indian life and manners; 
and I found that these " barbarians " were in many 
respects, * no ways barbarous : " but gentle and hos- 
pitable to strangers, and veiy polite to each other, 
after their own fashion. It was however too evident, 
that intemperance was the bane of their race : and 
I saw that I must seek an interpreter less addicted 
to that vice than their chief; for whose friendship 



92 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and assistance I could but feel grateful, though his 
company and example more than counterbalanced 
all the help Ave could derive from the former, while 
his habits remained unaltered. 

The number of Indian children at the school was 
now doubled ; and though they were all in a state of 
total ignorance, yet the most difficult point, to get 
them to attend, had been gained. They were all 
very docile and gentle in their dispositions. Three 
of the boys were strong and useful lads, and very 
expert in all things necessary to a life in the forests, 
as I soon found. 

A few days after their arrival, an alarm was given 
that a camudi snake had made its appearance close 
to the school: and we proceeded to search for it. 
It was soon found in a hole, whither it had retired, 
after helping itself to a fowl belonging to Jeannette, 
around which it had tightly coiled itself. While the 
rest of the party stood by with stout sticks, one of 
the Indian lads, who had assumed the English name 
of Barnwell, took his bow and arrow, and having 
taken deliberate aim at the neck, (which I was un- 
able to distinguish among the variegated folds of its 
body,) he transfixed it with an arrow, the barbed 
point of which stuck deep in the ground. The snake 
immediately threw out its body with a convulsive 
effort, and writhed itself with the most rapid motions, 
until several of the vertebrae were dislocated bv the 
heavy blows it received from us. Then the youth 
with unerring aim sent another arrow through its 
head, behind the eyes. The snake was then hung 



SICKNESS. 



93 



up and skinned: but continued slowly to contract 
different parts of its body for two hours. It 
was a small one, wanting an inch or two of eight 
feet : but it was very thick in proportion to its 
length. 

These Indian lads were of the greatest service to 
rne as paddlers. With their ready assistance I was 
enabled to visit any settlement within ten or fifteen 
miles, and soon had the happiness of inducing 
another interesting family to join us from a settle- 
ment on the Arapiaco, which I had not before visited. 

Before, however, I could go over all parts of the 
adjacent country, as I had resolved, and was now 
enabled to do, I was attacked by a severe fever, 
during the heavy rains at the latter part of No- 
vember. This continued very violent for several 
days, and then assumed the form of an intermittent, 
which attacked me at intervals for the next eleven 
months. 

In the following March I was so ill that Mr. 
Pickersgill, the gentleman before alluded to, sent his 
boat to convey me across the river to his residence; 
where I was kindly nursed by himself and family 
until I had somewhat recovered. During my illness 
Cornelius and the other Indians showed every kind- 
ness they could ; but nothing could exceed the at- 
tention of the old negro woman. For some few 
weeks our school was broken up ; but as soon as the 
people heard that I was getting better, they came 
again, and our congregation increased, till at the end 
of the year we had nearly sixty. 



94 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



So sudden a change in the disposition of these 
people called for every expression of praise and glory 
to Him from whom it proceeded, and whose work 
alone it was. Still I was afraid of giving way to 
too sanguine expectations. The people, seeing me 
suffer from sickness, might, according to their super- 
stitions, conclude that their evil spirits, in obedience 
to the commands of their sorcerers, were avenging 
themselves on me, and would shortly attack them 
for listening to the Gospel. But notwithstanding, 
during all this trying time, they showed a manifest 
desire for instruction, often waiting on the Sabbath 
for hours, till the fit went off me, that I might be 
able to speak to them. Their regard showed itself in 
many little ways, as in bringing a piece of fish, 
(either fresh or smoked,) a pine-apple, or other wild 
fruit, or a piece of cassava-bread : all gifts of little 
value in themselves, but highly valuable from the 
motive which induced them. 

Mr. Duke visited the Mission before the close of 
the year 1840, and in the beginning of the new year 
the Mission-cottage was completed. It had a small 
gallery in front of the centre room and two tolerable 
chambers, and was built of rough posts, with rods 
nailed across, to which were tied the trooly leaves, 
forming the thatched sides and partitions. The roof 
was also composed of trooly thatch. But the great 
advantage was its boarded floor, which was three feet 
from the damp ground. I was able to occupy this 
dwelling by the end of February, and resigned my 
former wretched abode to the school children, whose 



IMPROVEMENTS AT THE MISSION. 95 

friends removed the old sooty roof soon after, and 
replaced it with a new one. 

The chapel also had a new thatched roof put on it, 
and became more comfortable. The window-shutters 
had long since been replaced, strips of leather cut 
from old shoes having supplied the place of iron 
hinges for a short time. 

Some of the Indians also began to collect posts 
and other materials for erecting a few lodging-places 
for themselves when they came on the Saturday 
evening. Some of these were soon after put up, 
though they exceedingly disliked the low situation ; 
and, indeed, to any one who knows how invariably 
they select a dry and elevated spot for the site of 
their settlements, it must appear no small act of 
self-denial, or rather desire of obtaining spiritual 
good, which could have induced them to frequent a 
place so repugnant to their habits, and to send their 
children to reside there. 

Xone have so much cause as myself to regret the 
disadvantages of our first Mission-station ; but there 
was no better situation then attainable, and every 
inconvenience only showed that it was no prospect of 
worldly advantage which could at that time have 
actuated any of the people. The general aspect of 
things was cheering, although it was only to be re- 
garded as the small beginning of a greater work for 
the glory of God, and the spread of the Redeemer's 
kingdom. 



" Who hath despised the day of small things ? " 



CHAPTER V, 



THE ARAWAKS. 

Their character — Weapons — Name — Division of families— Marriage 
customs— Polygamy — Birth and rearing of children — Paiwari feasts 
— Funeral customs — Chiefs — Law of retaliation — Melancholy event 
— Progress of the Mission — Improvement in the people — Baptism — 
Mode of instruction —Indian astronomy — Use of pictures — Manners 
of school children — Prayer in the native language — Death of Mr. 
Duke — Visit to the Akawini lake. 

The Arawaks have always been noted for their mild 
and peaceable disposition, and their attachment to 
the European colonists. They were much esteemed, 
and their alliance highly valued by the Dutch, who 
by law exempted them from that slavery to which 
individuals of the other tribes were then liable on 
their being sold by each other. 1 

Although unwarlike to a degree of timidity, and 
desirous of preserving their independence without 
fighting, yet they were sometimes compelled to take 
up arms, both against the Maroon negroes and ag- 
gressive tribes of Indians. Stedman, in his account 
of Surinam, mentions an instance of an Arawak, 



1 Bancroft, p. 271. 



WEAPONS. 



97 



who having received an act of kindness from a 
gentleman of that colony, presented him with a 
beautiful boy of the Wacawoio tribe, whom he had 
taken in battle. He adds, that this was extremely 
uncommon even in those barbarous times, as a more 
peaceable people does not exist. 

In ttfbe casual encounters their weapons were 
chiefly bows and arrows and clubs. One kind of 
club, which they still make, though now only as a 
specimen of the weapons used by their ancestors, is 
of a very formidable description. It is made of the 
hardest and heaviest wood, and has a broad blade, 
thick in the middle, and with sharp edges. The 
handle is covered with cotton, wound tightly round 
it, to prevent the hand from slipping, and it has also 
a stout loop of the same material, which is placed 
round the wrist. They call it " sapakana." Some 
of these were of large size, and required both hands 
to wield them. 

They are now well provided with fire-arms, and 
skilled in the use of them, though it is only against 
the birds and beasts of the forest that they are at 
present employed. This tribe formerly furnished 
400 men, all well acquainted with the country in the 
neighbourhood of the plantations, and of great 
service as rangers. 

They are called Arawaks by the other tribes and 
the colonists ; but that is not the name by which 
they designate themselves in their converse with 
each other. Each Arawak calls himself a u Loko 
and speaks of his tribe and language as those of the 



98 



BEITISH GUIANA. 



u Lokono," which word is the plural of the former, 
and literally means " the people" 1 

Their tribe exhibits in its customs traces of an 
organization which was probably much more perfect 
in former times than it is at present. They are 
divided into families, each of which has a. distinct 
name, as the Siwidi, Karuafudi, Onisidi, <p| Unlike 
our families, these all descend in the female line, and 
no individual of either sex is allowed to marry 
another of the same family name. Thus, a woman 
of the Siwidi family bears the same name as her 
mother, but neither her father nor her husband can be 
of that family. Her children and the children of her 
daughters will also be called Siwidi, but both her 
sons and daughters are prohibited from an alliance 
with any individual bearing the same name ; though 
they may marry into the family of their father, if 
they choose. These customs are strictly observed, 
and any breach of them would be considered as 
; wicked. 

Mr. Hillhouse, who resided among them for some 
years, has given the names of the various families of 
. this tribe, to the number of twenty-seven, 2 most of 
which I have met with. 

The shades of character among these Indians 

1 Each American tribe seems, with national vanity, to consider 
.itself as pre-eminently " the people." The word " Carinya," by which 
the Caribs of Guiana designate themselves, has precisely the same 
meaning, " the people? 

Even the Esquimaux in the north assume the name of " Keralit," 
or men, and the appellation which the Iroquois give to themselves is 
£c The chief of men."— Robertson's Hist, of America, book iv. 

2 Montgomery Martin's West Indies, p 35. 



MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. 



99 



vary as much as in Europeans. In general they 
are faithful and attached to their wives, with whom 
they live very happily, i except where polygamy is 
practised. They are also fond of their children, 
and so indulgent that they very rarely indeed chas- 
tise them. Little reverence is consequently paid 
by the child to its parents ; the boys in particular 
are so little controlled by the mother, as to be 
remarkable for their disregard of her. In every 
race there is probably more parental love than filial 
affection, while the children are young, but this 
seems particularly the case with the Indians. The 
Indian mother may be seen following and calling 
her son, who is perhaps pursuing some unfortunate 
lizard with his tiny arrow, but not the slightest 
notice will he take of her, until it suits his pleasure 
to do so. This is during childhood. But when 
they grow up, and become themselves the heads of 
families, there is no want either of respect or attach- 
ment towards their aged parents. 

Parents frequently contract marriages for their 
children during infancy or childhood, and this en- 
gagement is considered binding on the part of the 

1 The Indian wife would sometimes accompany her husband on 
dangerous expeditions. Waterton, describing one of these, in which 
the white gentleman commanding the party was severely wounded, and 
two Indian chiefs, his supporters, were killed, by the Maroon negroes, 
in 1801, thus speaks of the wife of one of them, who had accompanied 
the expedition. " She was a fine young woman, and had her long 
black hair fancifully braided in a knot on the top of her head, and 
fastened with a silver ornament. She unloosed it, and falling on her 
husband's body, covered it with her hair, bewailing his untimely end 
with the most heart-rending cries." Some of our Indians said that 
they knew this woman, who died at Mahaica a few years ago. 



100 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



young couple ; the females, especially, are allowed 
little choice in the matter. Sometimes they are 
promised to persons who have already one or more 
wives. An incident of this kind came under my 
notice, soon after the Indians in the Pomeroon 
began to attend instruction. 

A young female was pointed out to me as having 
been betrothed to a man who already had a wife 
and children. As she, her father, and all his family 
were under Christian instruction, it became necessary 
to interfere. Her father was therefore told that 
such a connexion was contrary to the law of Christ, 
and must be broken off. To this he was very averse, 
and urged his promise given, the ancient customs of 
his people, and many other things in excuse, but as 
it was not a case in which these could be attended 
to, and as he saw that there was no possibility of 
keeping the customs of heathenism, and following 
Christ at the same time, he at last said that he 
would not enforce the matter, if the other parties 
could be induced to give it up. The young girl was 
then called, and on hearing the law of Christ with 
respect to marriage, she at once expressed her deter- 
mination to obey it. 

A few days after, the young man came, as it 
seemed, to claim his bride, and was not a little 
amazed to find how the matter stood. He was a 
native of Ituribisi, where the instructions of the 
Rev. W. Austin were beginning to take effect. He 
had been a hearer of .the word in that quarter, which 
had not been without some effect on his mind, and 



POLYGAMY. 



101 



now, finding himself assailed where he had little 
expected any such thing, he reluctantly withdrew 
his claim. He desired, however, permission to see 
the young woman before he went away. She was 
sent for, and he then formally demanded restitution 
of a hammock, some calico, a comb, and various 
other articles which he had formerly given her, and 
which were, in fact, nearly the whole of her little 
property. This demand was complied with, and 
the matter ended much more agreeably than I had 
expected. It was one of those circumstances which 
seemed to show the favour of God to our infant 
mission. Had not His grace touched their hearts, 
the family might have left us, and become enemies 
to the truth ; but as divine providence ordered it, 
a good example was set by them, and a deeply 
rooted evil custom received a severe blow at a 
critical time. The young woman led an exemplary 
life, and died unmarried four years after. 

There are no particular marriage ceremonies ob- 
served in their heathen state. The wife's father 
expects the bridegroom to work for him in clearing 
the forest, and in other things, and the young couple 
often remain with him until an increasing family 
renders a separate establishment necessary. 

On the birth of a child, the ancient Indian 
etiquette requires the father to take to his ham- 
mock, where he remains for some days, and receives 
the congratulations of his friends. This custom is 
still observed by some individuals. An instance of 
it came under my own observation, where the man, 



102 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



without a single bodily ailment, lay in his hammock, 
and was carefully attended by the women, while the 
mother of the newborn infant was cooking food. 1 

The women cany their infants in small hammocks, 
which are slung over one shoulder. When the child 
has grown bigger, it is carried upon the mother's 
hip, clinging to her body, with one leg before and 
the other behind it. They suckle one child until 
the birth of another, and sometimes for a short time 
after. The want of cows, goats, and other animals 
fit for supplying milk, together with their great re- 
luctance to use it from any animal, is probably the 
reason for this custom, which must weaken the 
mother considerably. 

The boys are early trained to fish and paddle, and 
as they get older they accompany the men on their 
hunting expeditions. The girls are obliged to labour 
at an early age, and assist the women, whose time is 
much more fully occupied than that of the men. 

They lead a simple life, without quarrels, except 
such as arise from that fruitful source of eyil, in- 
toxication. Their native drink, the paiwari, has 
been already mentioned. It is prepared in a very 
disoiistins; wav. The flat cakes of cassava bread 
are toasted brown, and then masticated by all the 
old women who can be brought together. Water 
being added, it is left till fermentation has taken 
place, and the guests then assemble to the feast, 

i This is no hardship for an Indian mother, who suffers but little. 
I once saw a Warau woman carry her infant, two hours after its birth, 
from one cottage to another, at some little distance, where she chose 
to remain . 



FUNERAL CUSTOMS. 



103 



where chinking and dancing are kept up until all 
the liquor is consumed. Some of the Arawaks, who 
have become ashamed, say that they do not now chew ; 
the bread from which this drink is prepared. As both 
the making and drinking of this liquor have been long 
discountenanced among our people, I have had no. 
opportunity of ascertaining the truth of this, but 
have seen the Caribi women sitting round a large 
earthen vessel, engaged in the disgusting manner 
above described. There is another chink made in a 
more cleanly manner from potatoes, called kasiri. 

When a death takes place among this tribe, notice 
is given to the neighbouring settlements by the 
discharge of guns, and preparation is immediately 
made for the funeral. They formerly used to make, 
a rude coffin, by hollowing a solid piece of wood, or 
by cutting a small canoe in halves to receive the 
body, but now some of them manage to construct i 
one of boards. There are certain dances connected 
with their ancient funeral customs, which will be 
hereafter described, as also the ceremonies practised 
by their sorcerers, and the superstitions inculcated 
by them. 

Their chiefs, or captains, are either appointed, or 
confirmed in their office by the colonial government. 
They were expected to summon their men together 
at the command of the governor ; and to lead them 
to battle if required. At present, there is scarcely 
the shadow of authority possessed by any of them, 
except over his own family. The rank and dignity 
of the ancient cacique has perished with the title. 



104 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



When any offence is taken, they seldom manifest 
it otherwise than by not speaking to the offending 
party. This seems to grieve them much. If one 
tells another that he is bad, it is almost looked upon 
as a curse. As to profane swearing it is unknown 
in their language, which even wants the word to 
express it. After a long inquiry, one of their chiefs 
told me j " We, in our langitage, do not swear, it is 
only your people who do that." 1 A just reproof, 
surely, of those profane habits by which too many 
of our countrymen are distinguished abroad as well 
as at home. 

When any crime, such as murder, is committed, 
they seem to follow strictly the law of retaliation. 
A tragical incident of this nature took place the 
year before I went among them. Two young men, 
who were (I believe) sons of their oldest chief, were 
invited to a paiwari dance at an Indian settlement, 
near the Arapiaco. Several white men also attended, 
as was too frequently the case. These left the 
following morning, after the dance was over, but had 
not long been gone before the younger brother, who 
had taken up his gun, as if going to his canoe, 
turned round and discharged it at his wife. 

She received the contents in her bosom as she was 
kneeling on the ground — fell on her face, and 
expired. The cause of this (if the deed were inten- 
tional), was probably jealousy of something that had 
occurred during the debauch of the previous night. 

1 A drunken Indian will, however, sometimes swear fearfully in 
English. 



LAW OF RETALIATION. 



105 



No inquiry was made, however, as to his motives. 
The nearest relative to the poor young woman 
started up, declared his intention of seeking ven- 
geance, and then hastened after the white men ; to 
whose laws he intended to consign the culprit. But 
before he could overtake them, the fearful deed had 
been avenged by another hand. 

When the young man saw what he had done, he 
stood for some little time aghast ; then, perceiving 
his countrymen approaching to seize him, he fled to 
the forest. He was soon taken and brought back to 
the fatal spot. There two of them held him by the 
hands, and he submitted to his fate from his own 
brother, Kaikaiko, who took up a billet of w r ood, and 
killed him by a blow upon the temples. 

This tragical occurrence was related to me by the 
settlers, and by the family at whose dwelling it took 
place. An aged Indian pointed out to me the now 
abandoned spot where it occurred, and where these 
two unhappy victims, who, but for an evil practice, 
might have witnessed the introduction of the hope 
of the Gospel, and grown old surrounded by their 
children, now sleep in one untimely grave. 

The elder brother, w T ho had thus become the 
minister of justice, and doubtless thought at the 
time that he was acting right, never seemed happy 
afterwards. He latterly attended Christian instruc- 
tion, and seemed desirous of embracing our religion, 
but having unhappily taken two wives long before, 
he could not make up his mind to part with either 
of them, till death rendered it too late. 



106 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



The horror excited by the melancholy event above 
related, had a beneficial effect upon the minds of 
those who saw or heard of it. It shewed more 
plainly than any words could do. the evil tendency 
of those drunken feasts in which they so much 
delighted; and was not without its effect in inducing 
many to listen more readily to the doctrines of that 
Gospel, which causes men to live soberly, righteously, 
and godly in this present world. 

In the beginning of 1841, we received an impor- 
tant accession, in the person of Saciba, or Jacobus, 
the other chief of the Pomeroon Arawaks ; whose 
example was followed by his numerous relatives. 
Neither of the chiefs of this tribe possessed the 
simple character of many of their people, who had 
had less intercourse with civilized persons. It is a 
sad fact, that the more an Indian knows of our 
language and manners, the worse his character is 
considered. It is a common expression of the 
settlers, " That Indian has too much English;" 
implying that he is likely to prove a rogue. Such 
is the effect of civilization without Christianity. 

It now became a pleasant sight to see the Indian 
canoes coming in from different directions on the 
Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Our con- 
gregation had already increased to about 84 persons. 
A sudden and manifest improvement took place in 
their apparel, all being anxious to procure European 
clothing. Owing to the utter darkness of the minds 
of most, undue importance soon began to be attached 
to this ; and it became necessary to caution them 



BAPTISM. 



lor 



repeatedly against supposing that any change in 
external appearance conld avail in the sight of Him 
who " looketh on the heart." 

Several of the people now became so anxious for 
instruction, as to bring sufficient cassava bread to 
last them as food for a week, with what few fish the 
river produced. Fish are not so plentiful in that 
deep river, as in the lakes and shallower streams. 

In the course of the year we were visited by the 
Rev. Mr. Duke, who baptized twelve adults, and 
twenty-five children of different ages, for whom 
myself and the baptized Indians stood sponsors. 
There were 120 persons present. This was a day to 
be remembered by us all. The services were 
remarkable for their solemnity, and the reverent awe 
visible in the countenance of each convert to the 
religion of Jesus ; while their wilder brethren gazed 
with great curiosity, some of them standing on the 
seats, and others climbing up into the windows, to 
see the administration of that Holy Sacrament. 

After the baptisms, the several couples were im- 
mediately married j a rule invariably adopted in all 
our missions. Most of these early converts were, 
when I left them, still living, and walking according 
to their Christian profession ; one or two had given 
way to temptation, and two had fallen asleep, of one 
of whom, (the man who accompanied me in my first 
visit to their chief,) I have a good hope that he has 
entered into the joy of his Lord. 

Other Catechumens now came forward, and the 
mission cottage was well frequented by them. 



108 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



I was anxious not only to impart to them the 
knowledge that leadeth to salvation, but also to 
improve their minds, and enlarge the circle of their 
ideas, by descriptions of other countries and people, 
to them most wonderful. Pictures, especially, ex- 
cited their attention. The most valuable book, (not 
of a sacred character,) which I possessed for this 
purpose, was a volume of the * Saturday Magazine," 
which the late Bishop Coleridge, thinking it might 
prove useful, had given me at Barbados, with some 
others, and his blessing. The Indians were much 
interested in the engravings, which I endeavoured 
to explain to them. The wicker idol, in which the 
ancient Britons burnt their victims, particularly 
excited their wonder, and they could not com- 
prehend how the former inhabitants of our country 
could be so cruel. They considered them even 
worse than their ancient enemies, the Caribs ; of 
whose ferocity they still entertain a lively idea. 
They thus learned to think more highly of the 
power of the gospel of peace, which has abolished, 
wherever its truth prevails, the cruel and barbarous 
works of heathen darkness. In this manner it was 
easy to blend religious instruction with interesting 
information, when catechetical duties were over. 

They were also anxious to teach me all they knew 
themselves, which was but little, except the arts of 
hunting and fishing peculiar to their country, in 
which no people on earth can excel them. 

They had some rude .knowledge of the stars, which 
was probably acquired by the experience of their an- 



INDIAN ASTRONOMY. 



109 



cestors in former voyages. They distinguished some 
of them as constellations ; one of which is called the 
camudi, from its fancied resemblance to that snake. 
They call the milky way by two names, one of 
which signifies the path of the maipuri or tapir ; and 
the other is " waie onnakici abonaha," — the path of 
the bearers of waie, which is a species of white clay, 
of which their vessels are made, and which they 
suppose the nebulous spots to resemble. Venus is 
distinguished by the name of u Warakoma • " and 
Jupiter is generally called " wiwa kalimero," the star 
of brightness. 

Great was their astonishment at learning some of 
the more simple facts of Astronomy, which many 
of them seemed able to comprehend. They were de- 
lighted to learn the cause of eclipses, which had 
always puzzled and alarmed them. They did not 
show much emotion, however, at the appearance of 
the large comet soon after, which filled the churches 
on the coast to overflowing with the terrified negro 
population. The Arawaks seemed to thiuk an eclipse 
much more portentous than the " star with the 
tail." 

The properties of the magnet excited much 
wonder ; and a small pocket compass was regarded 
with great interest. They all looked upon it as 
something supernatural, and though its use was soon 
understood, yet they regarded it with evident sus- 
picion for some time. A very grave man, who had 
been induced to take it into his hand, after it 
had been shaken and turned in every possible way, 



110 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



when he saw it still pointing towards the north star, 
delivered his opinion in these words : " It is alive." 
When convinced that the evil spirits had nothing to 
do with it, they said that the knowledge of its con- 
struction was a gift from God to the white men. 

They were totally unacquainted with geography 
beyond the limits of Guiana. They knew that the 
white people came from the other side of the great 
sea ; but were amazed at hearing that it was so 
large as to take a vessel some weeks to cross it. 
They had no knowledge of the existence of the 
Andes, or of the immense ocean to the westward. 
They were always delighted to be shown on a map 
the various countries of Europe, or those parts of 
the world from whence the Africans and Hindoos 
had been brought to their shores. Of history and 
the affairs of other nations they knew nothing. 
They had, however, an indistinct idea that there 
had been great wars between the white nations in 
the days of their fathers. They knew the name of 
one European warrior alone, Bonaparte ; whose fame 
had reached the ears of some, long before they had 
heard the name of the Saviour Jesus pronounced 
except in a profane or blasphemous manner. 

We were much in want of a set of Scripture 
prints, which would have been of great help in 
enabling them to understand the historical parts of 
Holy Writ. These they could comprehend, but very 
imperfectly, by oral communication. A set of en- 
gravings had been sent out from England, but never 
reached their destination ; and I was often obliged 



USE OF PICTURES. 



Ill 



to make a rude sketch before they could understand 
the most simple historical circumstance. 

The creation, and the fall of man, the deluge, 
and the giving of the law on Sinai, were those parts 
of Old Testament history which most interested 
them ; but they seemed to regard them, in a great 
measure, as mere historical facts ; and one of them 
observed, after I had been carefully explaining to 
them the Ten Commandments : " This word is good, 
but we knew most of it before." Nothing seemed 
to have a permanent effect on their hearts but the 
narrative of the passion of our Lord. Some of them 
did not even care for this, but its effect was per- 
ceptible on most, even when it led to no real con- 
version. Nothing but the love of God, as manifested 
in his Son, dying for their sins, seemed to create 
more than a temporary interest in any of them. 
I believe this to be invariably the case. I found it 
to be so with the Caribs, Waraus, and other tribes 
at a later period ; and am satisfied that unless this 
be the groundwork of a missionary's teaching, his 
labour is but nought. 

Most of the settlers left the river in the following 
year, owing to the failure of the Arnotto trade, and 
the introduction of white pine and other cheap woods 
from North America, which superseded, in a great 
degree, the more costly but durable productions of 
the native forests. Being thus isolated from civilized 
society, except when an occasional traveller called at 
the mission, an excellent opportunity was afforded of 
investigating the Indian manners, ideas, language, 



112 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and traditions. Some of these last Trill be given in 
the conclusion of this work. 

Our school gradually increased to nearly thirty 
Arawak children, but there were always some absent, 
from occasional scarcity of food, and their natural 
desire of change. I was greatly averse to letting 
them go home; but soon found that they would 
stay away altogether if they thought undue restraint 
were practised : and after a while it became apparent - 
that the good they did in teaching their friends at 
their homes in the forest, more than made amends 
for the evil occasioned by their irregularity. 

These children used to assist in cultivating a little 
garden, and keeping the paths free from weeds. 
Occasionally they went to gather the forest fruits. 
A fine cokarito palm grew close to the little school, 
and the day on which one of its enormous bunches 
of fruit was cut was always a time of rejoicing. 
Shooting with bows and arrows, either at birds, or 
at a mark set up for the purpose ; catching fish with 
a small rod, and other Indian pursuits, filled up the 
time which was not occupied by the school. I made 
several attempts to introduce English games, as 
ball, fee. among them ; but they met with no suc- 
cess. Even their amusements were all of a practical 
character, and such as would help them to get 
a living. 

They generally bathed, morning, noon, and 
evening, and more expert swimmers are scarcely to 
be found. They used to spring into the water, one 
after another in rapid succession, with a great noise 



i 



MANNERS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. 



113 



and splashing, keeping in rapid motion, and swimming 
with the head often under water. Sometimes they 
amused themselves with turning over, striking at 
their companions with their feet at the same time, 
which was dexterously avoided by diving. 

There was great difficulty in keeping the boys and 
girls from bathing together, to which they had always 
been accustomed. Separate places were assigned 
them, but even then they would sometimes cross the 
Arapiaco, and meet among the moco-moca and 
other aquatic plants at the opposite bank. To con- 
vince them of the impropriety of this was difficult, 
and it was some time before a final stop could be 
put to the practice. 

With the stronger lads to paddle the canoe, we often 
visited the Indian habitations. Saturday was gene- 
rally chosen, as no school was then kept. Sometimes 
we went on the Friday afternoon, sleeping at one 
of their places, and prosecuting the journey next 
morning \ and seldom failed of returning at night 
with several canoes full of people for service on the 
following day. In a mission, as in a parish, the only 
way of reclaiming those who give way to indolence, 
is by visiting them at their own abodes. 

In less than a year from the time when the first 
Arawak was induced, by divine grace, to seek the 
knowledge of God, we had more than half the 
people of the tribe in that quarter attending as 
worshippers in our humble house of prayer. Some 
months before this, happening to awake one morning 
i 



114 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



earlier than usual, I was surprised to hear a low 
sound proceeding from a place where several of the 
Indians had taken up their abode the preceding 
night. Listening attentively, I heard one of them 
offer up a prayer in their own language ; after which 
all joined in the Lord's Prayer. This has ever since 
been the practice in many families, and often over- 
heard in secret by myself and brethren in the work, 
but never has the sound been so pleasant to me, as 
when it first gave indication that they no longer 
looked on their Great Father as afar off, but, after 
long ages of ignorance, were led to know Him as 
the God that heareth the humble prayer of his 
creatures. In the course of the day I asked the 
man to repeat what he had said in his prayer, 
and wrote it down, to translate at some future 
period ; when I found that it did not contain any 
improper expression or petition, of which I had been 
apprehensive, but that it was as humble an acknow- 
ledgment of sin and unworthiness as could be 
conceived. It was not, however, offered in the 
Redeemer's name ; this defect was pointed out, and 
they afterwards closed their prayers with an expres- 
sion, answering to our own, " through Jesus Christ 
our Lord." 

In the course of this year the Mission sustained 
a loss, by the unexpected death of Mr. Duke, who 
was much lamented. His part in its establishment 
has been already related ; he visited it more than 
once, and it must have been a satisfaction to him to 



VISIT TO AKAWINI LAKE. 



115 



have been permitted to behold its promising ap- 
pearance. 

It soon became possible to extend the sphere of 
labour. The Arawaks informed me that many of 
their tribe resided at a place called Akawini, and 
some offered to accompany me on a visit to them. 

Having visited the settlement of Cornelius, and 
slept there, we set out early next morning, and had 
a cool walk of some hours through the forest. At 
length we came to a very narrow stream, which it 
was necessary to descend. The Indians had expected 
to find a small canoe, which they usually kept there, 
but some person had removed it. 

A tree of enormous size had fallen near the spot, 
and lay with part of its roots elevated several feet 
from the ground. An Indian climbed upon it, and 
with a heavy piece of wood struck one of the broad 
fluted projections of the trunk near the root, which 
gave a loud ringing sound that echoed through the 
forest and across the swamp. This was to give 
notice to the party who might have borrowed the 
canoe, that we were in need of it. 

A man and a woman, who had been fishing in it, 
returned as soon as they heard the signal. It was 
old and rotten, and the sides were so low that the 
water entered in three places, as soon as our party 
was seated. To remedy this, some thick stems of 
the moco-moca plant were cut and grooved. These 
being fitted on to the upper edge of the canoe made 
it an inch or two higher ; and we then proceeded, 



116 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



sitting as still as we could ; one of the party baling 
out all the way, while another paddled us through 
the still water. 

We came to a beautiful savannah and lake, and 
saw on a small island the cottage of the principal 
man in that secluded district. It was embosomed 
amid the tall trees, and the evening sun shone 
brightly on its thatched roof. Its owner received us 
kindly, and summoned his people, with whom we 
had an interesting meeting, which was prolonged to 
so late an hour, that several of them were unable to 
return to their homes that night. They therefore 
took up their quarters in an old house on the 
island. One of the corner posts of this being rotten, 
gave way. A child fell into the fire beneath her, 
and was severely burned. Fortunately no other 
person was injured, but this distressing accident 
threw a gloom over our visit. 

These people had had less intercourse with civi- 
lized men than any others whom I had yet seen, 
owing to their retired situation. The lake discharges 
its superabundant waters into the Pomeroon, by a 
small stream, which is blocked up with fallen trees. 
They said that no white man had previously visited 
their settlements. 

The head man became a catechumen, but died 
soon after. The next in influence had two wives, 
and was consequently an opponent of the religion of 
Jesus. 

New and more extensive fields of labour soon pre- 



ULTIMATE RESULT. 



117 



sented themselves, which took up most of my time 
and attention, and some years elapsed before the 
majority of the inhabitants of the beautiful lake of 
Akawini became willing to hear the Gospel of Christ, 
which was at length brought about by the persua- 
sions of the Christians of their own tribe. 

"God giveth the increase." 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CARIBS. 

Account of the writer's first visit to the country of the Caribs — Their 
costume and appearance — Attendance at the Mission — Their national 
character and customs — A glance at their condition and habits 
during the last century — Their cruel wars — Ancient Chiefs — Assist- 
ance to the Colonists in 1763 — Cannibalism — Favourable change. 

The upper part of the Pomeroon is inhabited by 
the Caribs, who occupy a large tract of country, 
including not only the banks of that river, but those 
of the Manawarin, a tributary of the Moruca. They 
are more numerous in that district than in any other 
part of the lower lands of Guiana. 

Their settlements were much higher up the river 
than the site of the mission, and they would not 
visit it, though often passing in their canoes. The 
appearance of their naked bodies, and faces painted 
with the bright vermilion of the arnotto, was inte- 
resting, though wild and savage. At some distance 
from us there was a " water-side," or landing place, 
on the banks of the river, where they often took up 
their quarters for the night ; and the sound of the 
bamboo flute proceeding from their bivouac, would 
sometimes reach our ears, when the noisy parrots 
had retired to roost, and the last breeze from the 
distant sea-coast had died away at sunset. Their 



VISIT TO THE CARIB COUNTRY. 



119 



music when close at hand is harsh and unpleasant, 
but it was so mellowed by passing over the still 
water, as to possess a plaintive and melancholy 
sweetness \ so that one might have fancied that they 
were bewailing their benighted and ignorant con- 
dition. 

Such was by no means the case. They had, as 
yet, no idea of anything better than their present 
state ; and while they possessed health, were per- 
fectly satisfied to eat, drink, and enjoy the passing 
moment, without care for future interests, whether 
of a temporal or eternal nature. 

On one occasion, some members of the family of 
their chief had called to visit me. I was surprised at 
first, but soon discovered from their manner that they 
were slightly intoxicated, which accounted for so 
unusual a circumstance. 

Having acquired all the information I could con- 
cerning them, the Arawaks at the mission were 
informed of my intention to visit the Caribi country. 
Some of them offered to accompany me. The two 
nations seemed on friendly terms, often trafficking 
with each other ; but a quarrel had taken place in 
the neighbourhood a short time before, between 
two individuals, in the course of which the one 
betook himself to his cutlass, while the other ran for 
his club. The affair ended with mutual threats. 
It did not seem expedient to take any adult person 
with me, as unpleasant results might ensue ; for even 
friendly feelings, as I knew by experience, might 
lead to a paiwari drinking, and a feast or a fray 



120 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



would alike be but little conducive to the great 
end in view. The youths who generally paddled my 
canoe seemed best fitted for my companions in this 
expedition. 

Accompanied by four of these lads. I set out one 
Monday morning, in June, 1841 \ the Axawaks, who 
had been to church on the previous day. standing 
on the banks of the river, and waving their hands, 
in token of wisliing good success to the Gospel of 
Christ among their neighbours and ancient foes. We 
went briskly up the river for several miles with the 
flowing tide, and turning up a small stream to the 
left, arrived before noon at the first Caribi settle- 
ment, called c - Kainwatta." (or the Bamboo,) from an 
enormous cluster of those trees which stands near 
it. This was the residence of " France," the brother 
of their chief. He was not at home, being absent 
with most of the male inhabitants, but his two wives 
were present, with several other women, all busily 
engaged in their usual occupations. 

The appearance of these women was very bar- 
barous, as is indeed the case with most of the Caribi 
females. Their dress was merely a strip of blue 
cloth, and their naked bodies were smeared with the 
red arnotto. which gave them the appearance of 
bleeding from every pore. As if this were not suffi- 
ciently ornamental, some of them had endeavoured 
to improve its appearance by blue spots upon their 
bodies and limbs. They wore round each leg. just 
below the knee, a tight strap of cotton, painted red. 
and another above each ancle. These are woven 



COSTUME AND APPEARANCE. 



121 



on while the girl is young, and hinder the growth 
of the pails by their compression, while the calf, 
which is unconfined, appears, in consequence, un- 
naturally large. All the Caribi women wear these, 
which they call sapuru, and consider as a great 
addition to their beauty. But the most singular 
part of their appearance is presented by the lower 
lip, which they perforate, and wear one, two, or 
three pins sticking through the hole with the 
points outward. Before they procured pins, thorns 
or other similar substances were thus worn. Should 
they wish to use the pin, they will take it out, and 
again replace it in the lip when its services are no 
longer required. 

Of these women I inquired respecting their hus- 
bands, and received an answer in their language, 
very copious, but to me perfectly unintelligible. 
Perceiving this, they pointed to a man standing at 
some distance, whom I found to be a stranger from 
the distant interior. He was the most picturesque 
object I had yet seen in Guiana, possessing a sym- 
metrical figure, which was seen to great advantage 
in his native costume. 

The cloth which is worn by the Caribi men, 
secured by a cord round the loins, is often of suffi- 
cient length to form a kind of scarf. As it would 
otherwise trail on the ground, they dispose it in a 
graceful manner over the shoulders, so that part of 
it falls upon the bosom, while the end hangs down 
the back. It is often adorned with large cotton 
tassels, and is the most decent and serviceable, as 



122 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



well as the most picturesque covering worn by any 
of the native tribes. The coronal of feathers for the 
head is sometimes worn, but not generally. The 
head is usually adorned by a large mass of arnotto, 
stuck on the hair at the top of the forehead, and 
very frequently the foreheads and upper parts of 
the cheeks are ornamented by various figures, painted 
with the same vermilion colour. This serves to 
render them ferocious in their appearance, and was 
probably first adopted by their ancestors with that 
view, but the modern Caribs have an idea that it 
contributes greatly to the beauty of their appearance. 
Some men of this tribe also smear their bodies with 
the arnotto, in the manner already mentioned as 
practised by the women. 

There was also at this settlement an old man, 
whose white hair and eyes, that were dim with age, 
showed that he must have far exceeded the usual 
term of human life. He lay in his hammock con- 
tinually, and seemed to have lost part of his faculties. 
This old man could doubtless once have told many 
a tale of strife and carnage, derived from his ances- 
tors, and some perhaps witnessed by himself, during 
the sanguinary contests in which his nation was 
engaged in his youth. 

The stranger whom I have mentioned received 
directions from the principal wife of the master of 
the settlement, and I understood, by the names used, 
that he was to guide me through the forest to the 
residence of the chief. To this I gladly assented, 
and dismissed my lads with the canoe, with directions 



VILLAGE OF BOROWAI. 



123 



for them to go to a certain place on the banks of 
the main river, where I would rejoin them. The 
Carib then threw over his shoulders the elegant 
tasselled scarf worn by his nation, and taking his 
gun, led the way into the forest. The walk was 
cool, the trees magnificent in size and beauty, and 
the path good, with the exception of a swamp which 
we had to cross. As this was always a difficult task, 
and one which occasioned me some delay, I lost 
sight of our guide for a time, but he soon re- 
appeared, standing among the tall trees on a bank 
above us, and as he saw Ifili, the Arawak boy whom 
I had retained with me, fetching water in a large 
leaf to cleanse my feet, he smiled, apparently at the 
inconvenience of shoes and other necessaries of 
civilized life. 

Borowai, which was the name of the village we 
next came to, was superior in the neatness and clean- 
liness of its houses to any Indian place which I had 
yet seen. Although several of the inhabitants were 
unclothed, yet none of the women were smeared 
with the amotto like those at Kamwatta. The chief 
is called u Commodore w by the settlers, as was his 
father before him, and it has become the fixed sur- 
name of the family. He was gone further into the 
interior with his son and most of the men, to my 
regret ; for I had calculated on persuading him to 
accompany me to visit his people. The principal 
part of the design was thus, to all appearance, frus- 
trated. 

There were but three men present, one of whom, 



124 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



I was happy to find, spoke a little English. Having 
seated myself on a low, rudely-carved stool in the 
house appointed for conference among the men, I 
began to talk with them, telling them that good 
people in my own country had sent me over the 
great sea, to teach them how they might serve 
" Tamosi " (their name for the Great Spirit) accept- 
ably, and be taken to live with him after death. 
They listened with great ' interest to my words, 
especially when, in giving an outline of Christian 
doctrine, I spoke of judgment and the eternal 
punishment of the wicked. I afterwards desired 
them to come and see me every Sabbath at the 
house of God. They said they had no canoes, but 
would tell the " Captain " all I had said, when he 
should return. They gave me a large pine and a 
cluster of ripe bananas at taking leave, which showed 
that they were not displeased at the visit. 

There was but one settler residing in their country, 
and he w T as on the point of quitting it. We slept at 
his house, which was situated on a hill named 
Carawob, the burial-place of the ancient Caribi 
chiefs of Pomeroon, and at early dawn again went 
on our way. About nine, a. m. we arrived at a place 
where the Pomeroon divides into two branches ; the 
' left being the main stream, while that to the right is 
called Issorora. Up this latter we proceeded. The 
weather was delightful, and though our prospect was 
very limited, yet each object was beautiful and 
striking; the venerable forests, with the manicole 
palms growing out of the river, and reaching a great 



SETTLEMENTS OX THE ISSORORA. 12-5 

height \ the mirror-like stream, reflecting every leaf 
on its unruffled surface \ the fish springing from the 
waters, and the splendid azure butterflies fluttering 
among the leaves, — all rendered the scene interesting 
to a stranger. Over our heads the king of the 
vultures hovered motionless on his strong pinions, 
while many of the common species were at a re- 
spectful distance, flying in circles through the sultry 
air. To complete the picture, a party of Caribs 
passed us in what are commonly called " woodskins," 
which are small canoes made of the bark of the 
purple-heart tree. 

The people at the settlements on the Issorora 
seemed rather pleased than otherwise at our visit, 
when they understood its object. Most of the men 
were absent from this district also, so that we seemed 
to have come at a very unseasonable time. In seek- 
ing for the first settlement, Pegassa, we took a wrong 
direction, which led us by an abandoned path, first 
through a very disagreeable and difficult swamp, and 
then through an old provision ground, so overgrown 
with thick grass, shrubs, and briers, that it was only 
with great exertion we could get through. The sun 
is intensely hot in these fields, as the surrounding 
forest prevents the breeze from cooling the air. 
Having at length reached the right path, I was 
surprised at a loud scream from three little Caribi 
girls, who where terrified at the object which, with 
scorched face, and clothes soiled with mud from the 
swamp, and covered with grass-seeds from the jungle, 
suddenly presented itself before them. One of them 



126 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



took to her heels and ran shrieking to give the 
alarm. As this was an unpleasant introduction to 
these people, it seemed best to follow and attempt 
to pacify her, but her swiftness rendered the attempt 
vain. Her mother came hastily from the house to 
meet her ; and perceiving the object of her child's 
alarm, said something which quieted ber. There 
was no one but this woman at the place, and as I had 
collected a few words of their language at Borowai, 
I asked for the man. She smiled at the bad pro- 
nunciation of the Caribisi, and pointed with her 
hand to the path which led to the next settlement, 
Tonambo. We arrived there much fatigued. 

A very tall man, named Yan, soon came in from 
hunting, and to him I told the cause of my visit. 
He seemed favourably disposed, and when I left, gave 
me a large pine in token of good feeling. An old 
woman added a piece of cassava bread. 

After three days' absence we arrived at the 
Mission ; and the first question put by the Arawaks 
on our return, was this, " Did you get any of them 1 " 
It showed a right feeling in some of them, who 
seemed very anxious to spread the little knowledge 
they possessed. 

Three weeks elapsed without our hearing anything 
of the Caribs. I had given up all hopes of them, and 
was meditating another visit, when on my return 
from a day's journey among the Arawaks, I was told 
they had been at the Mission inquiring for me. The 
next day (Sunday) we had the pleasure of seeing old 
Commodore arrive with the people from his village. 



CARIB NATIONAL CHARACTER. 



127 



The next sabbath he again came with nine of his 
people, and the following week we rejoiced to see five 
canoes full of Caribs of both sexes, and among them 
our friends from the Issorora. I soon after visited 
the settlement of the chief to induce him to place 
his children under my care for instruction, and to 
use his influence with the people of his tribe for the 
same purpose. This he promised to do. He was a 
well-meaning man, but ignorant, and like his people, 
too fond of liquor. 

The national character of the Caribs has ever been 
that of obstinate, fearless bravery. They are acknow- 
leged by the other tribes as superior in courage and 
determination, and have been always dreaded by them. 
They are fully aware of this, and there is conse- 
quently as much national pride in them, as in any 
European race. The Arawaks also possess a great 
degree of national pride, but it is founded on their 
superior intelligence and civilization ; while that of 
the Caribs arises from the remembrance of former 
victories, and the consciousness of superior valour. 
They are, however, very credulous, and easily excited 
by any flying rumour, of which I have seen several 
instances. 

They are not larger in person than the people of 
other tribes, but are generally very well proportioned. 
Their young men may claim preference over those of 
the other aboriginal races for elegance of form. 
The women, generally, do not at all equal in beauty 
those of the Arawak tribe. 

Their dress, and custom of painting their bodies, 



128 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



lias been already described. They also lubricate 
their skins with oil. made of the seeds of the caraba- 
tree. They consider this, and the use of the arnotto. 
as a great improvement of their beauty. 

Then manner of life is the same as that of the 
other tribes, but they usually pay more attention to 
agriculture. It was the pride of the Pomeroon 
Caribs to see other Indians, and even Portuguese 
hucksters from the coast, come to them to purchase 
provisions in the time of scarcity. I had an instance 
of this feeling, so honourable to them, in a visit 
which I paid to one of their distant settlements. 
The person I went to see met me at his landing- 
place, and, seeing the provisions which I had brought 
in the canoe for the use of my crew, said to me. 
" Why did you bring these plantains ] You were 
coming to a Carihi place, where provisions are always 
to be obtained/' 

They are very indiscriminate in then diet, and 
will eat almost anything in the shape of animal food. 
The large tadpoles, which may be seen in great 
masses swimming at the side of eveiy stream, are 
called by the settlers and Arawaks. " the Caribisi 
pepper-pot/' as they are said to use them in that dish. 

The women of this tribe are noted for weaving 
excellent and durable hammocks of cotton, which 
they cultivate for that purpose. These are all made 
by hand, and the process is very slow and tedious : 
but the hammocks so made are said to surpass ail 
others. They form 'an important article of their 
traffic j but. though expensive, the price is by no 



CARIB CUSTOMS, 



129 



means an adequate remuneration for the time and 
labour bestowed on them. 

Their customs with respect to marriage do not 
greatly differ from those of the other tribes. With 
respect to the dead, their habits are said to have 
been very peculiar. If the person deceased were 
of some distinction, his bones were cleaned by the 
women, and carefully preserved in their houses. 
This custom was practised by several of the tribes of 
Guiana, some of which are said to have immersed 
the body in the water until the bones had been 
picked clean by the pirai and other fish, when they 
were carefully dried, and suspended in the roof of 
their habitation, as the greatest proof of attachment 
which could be shown. 1 

This custom of preserving the bones of their dead 
for some time, though still observed, as I have heard, 
in remote places, is now becoming obsolete, and must 
expire as Christianity spreads among them. 

The present condition of these people, however 
barbarous it may appear to us, is infinitely better 
than it was formerly. It is difficult for any one 
who should visit them at their present peaceful 
settlements, to believe that they are the descendants 
of those savage warriors who spread terror over the 
West Indian Islands, and a great portion of the con- 
tinent of South America. 

At present they live in a tranquil state, undisturbed 
except by occasional quarrels among themselves, which 
usually originate at a paiwari feast, or from the use of 

1 Stedman, chap. xt. 
K 



130 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



rum. When excited, they are often ungovernably 
fierce, as I have witnessed : and I once met a Carib 
who had lost a portion of his nose, which had been 
bitten off by his own brother, as he said, in a drunken 
quarrel. Such occurrences are not very frequent ; 
and disputes are generally taken to the post -holders, 
who use their influence to prevent quarrelling and 
fighting between them ; for whose protection the 
Indians are grateful, and by whose determinations 
they will faithfully abide. 

But. up to the close of the last century, their 
savage propensities had full scope. When any dis- 
pute happened with another tribe, they were accus- 
tomed to attack those vho had offended them. and. 
siuTOundiug their scattered villages in the night, 
would make them prisoners : the men, who would 
be likely to escape, were put to death, while the 
women, and children of both sexes, were reserved for 
sale. 1 Sometimes they attacked their enemies openly 
in the day time ; and it is said to have been a boast 
of theirs, that they would paddle their canoes against 
the current to the settlements they intended to 
attack, that the sound of their paddles might give 
warming of their approach, and their enemies prepare 
to engage them. 

At that time the Carib s were considered as the 
most numerous as well as the most warlike of all the 
tribes. They were independent of the Europeans, 
though in alliance with them. They had no heredi- 
tary sovereigns, but chose a person whose office it 

1 Bancroft, p. 258. 



ANCIENT CHIEFS. 



131 



was to head theni in any warlike undertaking. It 
was necessary for the candidates for such an office 
to possess more strength and courage than their 
fellows, and to be perfectly acquainted with every art 
and stratagem of savage warfare. They were required, 
by long fasting, to give proof of their powers of 
endurance, and to show their bodily strength by 
bearing heavy burdens. It has been even said, that 
the Carib who aspired to the honour of commanding 
his brethren, was exposed to the biting of ants for a 
certain time. 1 The man who could thus bear torture 
and fatigue of any kind, and was a stranger to fear, 
was chosen to be their captain ; and the bows and 
arrows of the tribe were laid at his feet in token of 
obedience. 

These customs were gradually laid aside. It was 
the evident interest of the colonists to flatter the 
pride of the Indian chiefs, which they effectually 
did by presenting to them insignia of office, con- 
sisting of a plate of one of the precious metals, to be 
worn on the bosom, and a staff of office to be borne 
in the hand. By degrees, the Indians came to look 
upon these as indispensable to the office ; and the 
power of confirming the appointment of their chiefs 
fell into the hands of the colonists. The honour of 
the chieftainship is at present but small, and seems 
in a great measure hereditary among the Caribs, as 
those captains who are connected with our missions 
are all descended from their former chiefs. 

The alliance of the Dutch colonists with this tribe 
l Abbe Eaynal's History of the Indies, Book XIII. 



132 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



greatly assisted in saving them from destruction 
during the insurrection of 1763. The revolted 
negroes had nearly destroyed the colony of Berbice, 
the white inhabitants of which had retired on board 
the ships at the month of the river, and a rising of 
the slaves in Demerara and Essequibo was daily 
expected. The Caribi Indians were engaged by the 
governor of these latter colonies to take arms, and 
they greatly harassed the negroes. They concealed 
themselves in the woods by day, and set fire to their 
thatched houses at night, attacking their inmates as 
they fled out in confusion. They killed a great 
many, as appeared by the number of dried hands 
which they brought in, and for which they received 
a considerable reward. For each of these the sum 
of twenty-five florins was usually paid, and for a 
living captive, fifty. 

Such is one portion of the dreadful picture, which 
the life of the Indian, as well as of every other race 
in the colony, presented during those sad times. 
But this is not all. The Caribs are said to have 
eaten the bodies of the slain. This is expressly 
asserted by Bancroft, who, as a resident in the 
colony, had the best opportunity of knowing the 
truth. 

Another writer, who was himself engaged soon 
after in suppressing the revolted negroes in those 
forests, thus writes of the Caribs : " However un- 
natural it may seem, and however much it has been 
contradicted, they are . anthropophagi, or cannibals ; 
at least, they most certainly feast on their ene mies, 



CANNIBALISM. 



133 



whose flesh they tear and devour with the avidity of 
wolves." 1 

Whatever barbarities may have been inflicted by 
these heathens upon the bodies of the slain, they 
were far exceeded by the atrocious cruelties which 
were exercised by the enraged colonists, on those 
who were taken alive. Over them the veil of ob- 
livion should be for ever drawn. 

No other tribe near the coast of Guiana has been 
accused of cannibalism ; and it is probable that even 
with respect to the Caribs, exaggeration has pre- 
vailed. It is, however, impossible to disprove the 
accounts handed down to us ; though it would be 
delightful to do so. It is needless to say that this 
custom no longer prevails, and of their present 
habits it has been observed by a recent writer : " It 
is true the Caribisce make flutes of the thigh-bones 
of theii enemies, but they abhor the idea of eating 
their flesh or drinking their blood, and this abhor- 
rence is general." 2 

Being desirous of knowing the ideas of the existing 
race as to these practices of their ancestors, I once 
inquired of an intelligent young Christian Carib. 
He became much excited, seemed both ashamed and 
indignant, and answered, "That he had heard of 
their doing such things, but he thought they must 
have eaten the flesh of animals, while they pretended 

1 Stedman, chap. xv. The same author also mentions it inciden- 
tally in other parts of his work, as a well-known fact. He also ob- 
tained a flute, made by them, of a thigh-bone of one of their enemies, 
of which he has given a representation. 

2 M. Martin, West Indies, p. 53. 



134 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



to eat that of their enemies." I made no further 
inquiry, as it seemed to give them pain. Wherever 
Christianity prevails in its truth, there barbarous 
practices not only fall, but come to be regarded with 
horror and surprise. Perhaps even in Hindostan, 
future generations may yet, in the fulness of gospel 
light, doubt the reality of the Suttees, and other 
abominations of their fathers. 

Long before the abolition of negro slavery, the 
custom of the Indian tribes enslaving each other 
was discountenanced by the British, and the pur- 
chase of slaves so taken was prohibited. This was 
successful in removing a great inducement to pre- 
datory expeditions, which were generally attended 
with bloodshed. It was, however, accompanied by 
a melancholy circumstance. "A Caribi chief, in- 
dignant at the refusal of the governor to accept of a 
fine slave, immediately dashed out the brains of the 
slave, and declared that for the future his nation 
should never give quarter." 1 

u The dark places of the earth are full of the habi- 
tations of cruelty." 

1 The usual club ot the Caribs is made of the heaviest wood in the 
forest; it is about eighteen inches long, flat, and square at both ends, 
but heavier at one end than the other. It is thinner in the middle, 
and wound round with cotton thread, with a loop to secure it to the 
wrist. It is called by them " Potu." One blow witli this club, in 
which is sometimes fixed a sharp stone, will scatter the brains. They 
fix the stone in the future club by sticking it in the tree while it is yet 
growing ; it soon becomes so firm that it cannot be forced out, and 
in due time the tree is cut and shaped according to the fancy of 
the Indian. This latter kind is, however, seldom met with, and the 
weapon is sufficiently formidable when made of wood alone. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE WACAWOIOS. 

Journey through the Caribi country to a Wacawoio settlement — 
Reception and results of the visit — Description of the Wacawoios — 
Their persons, ornaments, and treacherous character — The blow- 
pipe and worali, or arrow poison — The haiarri, and method of 
poisoning fish — Their roving disposition, and long journeys for 
traffic and plunder — The small-pox — State of the Indian Mission in 
1842. 

It is gratifying to turn from the horrors of former 
savage warfare, to consider the progress of the gospel 
of the Prince of Peace ; whose holy doctrines can 
induce the savage to commit his war-club to the 
flames, and will, when fully obeyed, cause the 
civilized nations of the earth to "learn war" no 
more. 

The two tribes, the Arawak and Caribi, continued 
to meet at the mission on the most friendly terms, 
and their lodging-places formed a small village along 
the bank of the river. The settlements of each tribe 
were occasionally visited ; those of the Caribs the 
more frequently, as they were the least advanced. 

On one of these occasions, we discovered, at a 
landing-place on the bank of the river, one of those 
beautifully spotted, but destructive animals which 
infest the country. It was apparently approaching 
the water to drink, and as the canoe ran ashore ; it 



136 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



placed itself on a fallen tree, where it stood with its 
brilliant eyes fixed upon one of the lads, who went 
forward with his paddle to drive it away. It was 
not till the number of its assailants had increased 
that it retreated \ which it did with a light and agile 
motion, of which those who have seen those animals 
only in confinement can have but little idea. It 
was small, and probably young. 

The Caribs on the Issorora continued to show 
every willingness to receive Christian instruction ; 
and at Pegassa. vhere we usually took up our 
quarters for the night, the people who assembled for 
evening prayers would sit for a long time afterwards, 
listening to the word of life, which was interpreted 
by one of their countrymen. On one of these occa- 
sions the scene was very impressive. Our place of 
meeting was a small area in the centre of the village, 
where the white sandy soil was kept perfectly free 
from weeds. Here, with the bright tropical moon 
over head, sat, or squatted, a group of half-naked 
people in every attitude of attention, listening with 
eagerness to the "good word." It was indeed a 
scene of beauty, from the various kinds of trees and 
shrubs seen in the clear moonlight, while the solemn 
stillness, unbroken, save' by the low chirping of 
various insects, made it seem as if nature was hushed 
to bear of the sufferings of her Lord. 

The children, who were so alarmed at my first 
appearance among them, had long since got over 
their fright, and some were attendants at the 
Mission School. 



VISIT TO THE WACAWOIOS. 



137 



From this place I set out one morning, under the 
escort of Yan and one or two other Caribs, it being 
our intention to visit every settlement in that quarter. 
The presence of these guides ensured a good reception 
at every place we came to, and our company gradu- 
ally increased, till at last we had about twelve fine- 
looking men in our train. In the more remote 
settlements there was not a shirt, frock, or other 
European garment to be seen : the people all looked 
wild and careless, being perfectly satisfied with their 
condition. The stream becoming less as we ascended 
it, further progress was only practicable in a very 
small canoe, which would scarcely hold three persons. 
Our companions went along a foot-path, being fre- 
quently lost to sight for a time, and then were seen 
emerging from the forest and crossing the stream 
before us on fallen trees, which form the usual 
bridges of the Indians. Some of these the canoe 
must be hauled over, and others it passes under, 
the people inside lying down to avoid coming in con- 
tact with them. At last we quitted the river, and 
proceeded through a very marshy forest. They told 
me that we had passed all the Caribi settlements, 
and were now entering the country of the Wacawoios. 

Having expressed a wish to proceed, they agreed 
to conduct me to a settlement called Konosa. As we 
drew near it, twelve or thirteen dogs, which heard our 
approaching footsteps, came rushing down the path, 
and made directly at me, as the most unusual object, 
but were driven back by the paddles of the Caribs, 
who ran forward to my assistance. The settlement 



138 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



we found to be in great confusion. There were an 
equal number of other dogs seated on a long rude 
table, each being tied to a stout bar of wood fastened 
to the posts of the house. The Wacawoio woman 
was busy in endeavouring to catch those which were 
loose, and tie them up in like manner, to keep them 
from her guests. Most of these were growling and 
snarling with all their might, and all the efforts of 
the woman to restore order were ineffectual, until 
she had chastised the most noisy with a long switch. 

In answer to my inquiries, the Caribs told me 
that the master of the settlement carried on a traffic 
with these animals, which were of an excellent hunt- 
ing breed. He soon made his appearance, and 
saluted me in the Creole Dutch. 

Yan then entered into a long conversation with. 
him, and at my desire explained the little he had 
learned himself : told him of the intentions of some 
of the Caribs to learn the good word of God : and 
asked him to come with his family to the mission ; 
as people of all nations were called by the Son of 
God. The old man listened with great attention to 
our Caribi friend, who was simple-minded and earnest, 
and prevailed with him to give his consent. I was 
myself perfectly useless in the conference, from igno- 
rance of their tongue. 

After this we were invited to take some refresh- 
ment ; and as there was no meat to be obtained 
until the young men came from hunting, cassava 
bread was set before us, with a sauce made of the 
casareep or boiled cassava juice, to which a quantity 



DESCRIPTION OF THE WACAWOIOS. 



139 



of red pepper is added. I had frequently partaken 
of a similar preparation, but never anything equal 
to this. The Caribs ate of it with impunity, though 
it was sufficient to excoriate the month of any other 
person than an Indian. 

A few weeks after my return to the Mission, the 
Wacawoio family from Konosa commenced attend- 
ance there, with most of the Caribs from Issorora. 

Near the sources of the Pomeroon there were some 
settlements of the Wacawoios, whom we were pre- 
paring to visit, though with little hope of inducing 
them to attend, from the very great distance. They 
soon, however, quitted their abode, so as to be able 
to attend the Missions of the Essequibo, to which 
they were much nearer than to ours. Their neigh- 
bours informed us of this, and the welcome intelli- 
gence prevented our intended visit. 

In person and stature the Wacawoios resemble the 
other tribes, but they may be recognised by their 
peculiar physiognomy, and the manner in which they 
contrive to adorn, or rather disfigure, their features, 
which are not unpleasing, though grave and some- 
what melancholy. They use the arnotto, and also 
paint their faces and bodies with blue streaks, in 
which they take great pains. They wear a piece of 
wood or a quill stuck through the cartilage of the 
nose, and some individuals have similar ornaments 
through the lobe of the ear. They formerly distin- 
guished themselves by a circular hole, about half an 
inch in diameter, made in the lower part of the under 
lip, in which was inserted a piece of wood of equal 



uo 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



size with the hole, which was cut off almost even 
with the outer skin, the inner end pressing against 
the roots of the teeth. This latter ornament is now 
but seldom seen, but the others are general. 

The Wacawoios are dreaded by the other tribes on 
account of their predatory disposition, and for their 
treachery. They are said to be addicted to poison- 
ing, and to possess the art of preparing the most 
pernicious compositions, some of which produce slow 
but inevitable death. These they are accused of 
administering in food and drink, pretending, at the 
same time, friendship and regard for the unsuspect- 
ing victim. It has been said that they will chink 
first themselves to obviate suspicion, and then 
secretly drop the poison, ready concealed under their 
nails, into the liquor, as they hand it to the person 
whom they intend to destroy. It has been also said 
that they plant envenomed spikes in the paths lead- 
ing to their habitations, leaving one free, which they 
use themselves, and make known by private marks 
to their countrymen. I have met with no instances 
of the kind, but have often heard their general 
treachery spoken of by others, who are very careful 
of offending any individual of this tribe. 

Such is the character they have ever borne : and 
if it be true, as was suspected, that the death of that 
zealous missionary, the late Mr. Youd, was accelerated 
or brought on by poison thrice administered by a 
Wacawoio, these reports, so injurious to then cha- 
racter, would be greatly confirmed. 

Of the deadly effects of the worali, or arrow poison, 



WORALI POISOX. 



141 



which they, in common with others, generally use, 
there can be no manner of doubt : it is well known, 
and its deadly effects have been too often tested. 
The arrows nsed for this purpose are about one foot 
in length, and very slender \ one end is sharpened, 
and envenomed with the worali, and around the 
other is wound a ball of fleecy cotton, adapted to the 
size of the cavity of the blow-pipe through which it 
is to be discharged. This blow-pipe is a reed, or 
small kind of palm, about nine feet in length, and 
perfectly straight, which is hollowed and lined with 
another smooth reed. The Indians are very careful 
of these, and frequently turn them when placed in 
their houses, lest they should become in the slightest 
degree bent or warped, by remaining in one position. 
They frequently cover them with handsome " pegall" 
work, and sell them as curiosities to the colonists. 

The small poisoned arrows are, by a single blast 
from the lungs, sent through the cavity of the reed, 
and fly for some distance with great swiftness and 
accurate aim, conveying speedy and certain death. 
The tribes which use these weapons are accustomed 
to them from their infancy, and by long practice 
they acquire a degree of dexterity which is inimi- 
table bji Europeans, and would be incredible, were it 
not for the fact that they depend upon them for 
most of their animal food. As an Indian said to one 
of our countrymen, " The blow-pipe is our gun, and 
the poisoned arrow is our powder and shot." 

The worali is said to be fatal when it has mixed 
with the blood in the smallest degree, but to have 



142 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



no poisonous effect on an unbroken skin. The 
animals killed with it appear to suffer no violent 
pain, though slight convulsions sometimes occur as 
they expire. It does not affect the flesh, which is 
perfectly good for food. 

Many attempts have been made to discover the 
secret of its composition, but without any very 
satisfactory result. The Macusi tribe, from whom the 
strongest sort is obtained, are said to keep the mode 
of preparing it a profound secret. It is called 
"worali," from the name of a nibbi or bush-rope, 
the juice of which is one of the chief ingredients. 

The Wacawoios also supply the coast tribes with 
considerable quantities of the haiarri root, which is 
used in poisoning fish. These roots are usually cut 
in pieces about two feet in length, and tied up in 
small bundles, which have a powerful and dis- 
agreeable scent. Some of these pieces, bruised till 
the fibres separate, and then washed in a small 
stream, at the turn of the tide, when there is little 
or no current, will cause the fish to rise to the surface 
apparently intoxicated, and gasping. In a few 
minutes they float motionless, and the larger kinds 
are shot with barbed arrows, while the smaller ones 
are struck with knives previously to they: being 
taken out of the water. This is done to save trouble, 
as they might revive if a heavy shower of rain were 
suddenly to fall, or fresh water to reach them. The 
fish so taken are perfectly wholesome ; — perhaps the 
action of fire has some effect in destroying any 
noxious quality which these poisons may possess, as 



WACAW0I0 EXPEDITION. 



143 



in the well-known instance of the juice of the 
cassava. 

The Wacawoios also carry on a traffic in many 
other things ; and they have been called, from their 
roving propensities, the pedlars and news-carriers of 
the whole eastern coast They are in constant com- 
munication with the inhabitants of Venezuela and 
the Brazils, as well as with the colonists of Deine- 
rara, Surinam, and Cayenne. 

Notwithstanding this roving disposition, they are 
attentive to agriculture, and are said to cultivate 
more land than any other tribe ; that they may have 
not only a supply of provisions for themselves, but 
for any other party who may chance to call ; the 
rules of hospitality being strictly observed. But 
after they have planted their fields, and prepared 
their warlike implements, they sell whatever articles 
they may have on hand, and with a supply of English 
goods, and as many fire-arms as they can muster, 
they set off to the Venezuelan or Brazilian frontiers 
to barter them there for other articles. Of the 
nature of these expeditions, the following account 
has been given by one who was well acquainted with 
the habits of this tribe. 

(t In these expeditions, in which several families 
join, then chief care is to provide a good stock of 
bread ; they then march for three days, and halt for 
two, during which they hunt, and barbacote or dry 
then game ; and they are in no distress for provisions, 
for even two or three months, which is frequently 
the duration of their journeys. 



144 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



" In these marches, when they approach a village, 
it signifies not of what nation, they prepare to attack 
it. If it be on the alert, and strong enongh to resist, 
they conclude a treaty of commerce, eat together, 
and trade, without reserve or suspicion \ but if the 
place be weak, and the inhabitants off their guard, 
those who resist are instantly massacred, and the re- 
mainder become slaves to the victors. 

" Their audacity in these predatory excursions is 
astonishing. If a party can muster eight or ten 
stand of fire-arms, it will fight its way through all 
the mountain tribes, though at open war with them, 
and by the rapidity of their marches, and nightly 
enterprises, which they call Kanaima, they conceal 
the weakness of their numbers, and carry terror 
before them." 1 

It has been judged necessary to give this brief 
account of the habits of the Wacawoios, for though 
few of them have attended our Missions, compared 
with the other tribes, yet they have influenced them 
more than once in a remarkable manner, as will 
hereafter appear. 

The Wacawoios from Konosa continued to attend 
the Pomeroon Mission until their settlement was 
visited by a fatal epidemic, to which the principal 
persons fell victims ; the others then quitted their 
abode for the distant settlements of their tribe, a 
few individuals only visiting us occasionally. 

The small-pox committed fearful ravages among 
the Caribs, who suffered more than any other tribe. 
1 Hillhouse, from Martin's West Indies, pp. 43, 44?. 



THE SMALL-POX. 



14-5 



Their settlements, Borowai, Tonanibo, Pegassa, and 
others, whose neat and flourishing appearance had 
excited my admiration, now became the abodes of 
sickness and death, of misery and sorrow. It is 
impossible to state the number of deaths in pro- 
portion to the whole population, but it was very 
considerable. 

Among the settlers several sad tales were current 
respecting events connected with this visitation; 
some of which I believe to be too true. It was said 
that at a settlement where many had died, a young 
stranger, who was attacked by the disease, had been 
left to perish ; none daring to approach him with a 
draught of water. Others represented them as set- 
ting fire to the habitation where a person had died, 
and burning the corpse within it. ISTot having 
witnessed these things, I cannot vouch for their 
truth ; but the reports had doubtless some founda- 
tion, and showed how severe the affliction was. 

Great anxiety was felt lest the small- pox should 
visit the Mission. It was not long before it did so, 
making its appearance among the negro family, 
which had greatly increased in number. The Indian 
children were immediately dismissed, with injunc- 
tions to their respective families to avoid the place. 
On the Sabbath day they were directed to assemble 
on the opposite bank of the river ; they then landed 
at the chapel, (for which the signal was given by 
blowing a horn,) and again leffc without any com- 
munication with the infected house. God being 
merciful to the Arawaks who attended the Mission, 
L 



146 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



none of them were attacked; though the disease pre- 
vailed all round about them. 

My Indian boy, Ifili. (or David.) positively refused 
to leave me at this time : though I repeatedly desired 
him to do so. He faithfully attended me during the 
tedious weeks, in which the small-pox successively 
attacked every individual left at the Mission, except 
himself and me. 

Our Mission gradually resumed its former appear- 
ance when the fear of infection had passed away. A 
medical gentleman then visited us, who vaccinated 
the children and adults at the school, and left a 
supply of the virus to be communicated to ethers. 
Most of the Arawaks, on being informed of its 
properties, gladly availed themselves of the oppor- 
tunity. An important boon would have been 
conferred upon the poor Indians, if the government 
had previously taken measures to have them all 
vaccinated • which, by means of the post-holders, or 
officers charged with the protection of the Indian 
tribes, might easily have been done. It is to these 
diseases, combined with the occasional drinking of 
rum to great excess, that the continual decrease of 
their numbers is to be mainly attributed : since there 
have been no wars among any of the tribes near the 
coast for many year's. 

It was feared that this affliction, operating on the 
superstitious ideas of the Indians, might have led 
the Caribs to declare against Christianity as its cause. 
It is probable that such would have been the case, 
had not the Arawaks, who were more deeply impli- 



STATE OF THE MISSION. 



147 



cated than themselves, been entirely spared ; which 
was a providential circumstance, not only in itself, 
bnt in its effects. The Caribs soon came again. 
They had heard of another and a better life \ and 
the affliction which had befallen them had shown 
them the painful uncertainty of this, and made them 
anxious and humble. It was sad to see the dis- 
figured faces of many of them, and how their families 
had been thinned by the disease. From this time 
many became very regular in their attendance, and 
their children at school began to rival those of the 
Arawaks in number. 

The congregation at our little chapel had so in- 
creased, that it became necessary to enlarge it. This 
was done, by workmen from the coast, by the addition 
of a chancel, porch, <fea It was at the same time 
raised and placed on stout piles of wood; a small belfry 
was added, and the once wretched spot assumed a neat 
and beautiful appearance when viewed from the river. 

Our congregation at that period was of a very 
mixed character, being composed of people of every 
shade of colour, and sometimes of six different lan^ 
guages ; the English, Creole Dutch, Arawak, Caribisi, 
Wacawoio, and TVarau ; some individuals of the 
latter degraded tribe usually attending on the few 
remaining settlers. They were sometimes induced 
to enter the chapel, and could at first with difficulty 
be prevented from getting in and out of the windows. 
Sometimes one would place himself on the window- 
sill, and squatting on his heels, quietly observe all 
that was going on. 



148 



BRITISH GUIANA* 



Some of our regular attendants had to paddle 
themselves eight or nine hours, with their wives, 
children, food, cooking utensils, clothes, and most of 
their little property, every time they visited the 
Mission. An outward change was visible in the 
conduct of many, especially among the Arawaks, and 
several drunkards became reformed. I state this, 
not only as the result of my own observation, but on 
the testimony of others. A small store for the sale 
of ardent spirits, which had been opened on the bank 
of the river opposite the Mission, was closed in the 
course of the following year. 

Among these different tribes and languages the 
difficulties of the teacher were great. It was, hpw- 
ever, most consoling to see so many people waiting 
with great reverence during the Sabbath service, 
which being in English was unintelligible to most, 
until some instruction had been conveyed to them by 
those who could comprehend a little. The difficulty 
was, of course, unavoidable ; but though painful and 
trying, it was most gratifying to see people of such 
various kindreds and tongues assembled, even under 
great disadvantages, to worship the same Lord 
and Saviour. 



" All nations shall do Him service/ 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE LOWER DISTRICT OF POMEROON, 

Nature of the District— Missionary Expedition to the Manawarin and 
"Wakapoa ; its results — Maquarri dance of the Arawaks — Difficulties 
among these people — Better prospects — Caribs in Manawarin erect 
a rude place of worship — Attendance at Caledonia. 

Ox the banks of the Ponieroon, a few miles from 
its mouth, there are seven plantations of various 
sizes, on which plantains and coffee are cultivated by 
a population of about 300 persons, chiefly negroes, 
by whom about half of the property in the district 
has been purchased. 

One of these small estates, called Hackney, was 
purchased by the late Rev. J. H. Duke for the 
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
Parts. A chapel school, with a residence for the 
teacher, had been erected there, but it was in a de- 
caying state, and soon after fell to pieces, having 
been destroyed by the wood-ants, which, in Guiana, 
speedily take possession of every building that may 
be left for a short time without the watchful care of 
man. 

In the beginning of 1842, Mr. W. T. Smithett was 



150 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



sent out by the Society to take charge of this negro 
district, and to cooperate, as far as possible, in the 
Indian field of labour. The building at Hackney 
being untenable, he took up his abode on the next 
estate, Caledonia ; the manager of which, Mr. Gain- 
fort, kindly allowed the use of a substantial building, 
(formerly used for cleaning cotton,) for the perform- 
ance of Divine Service. 

As soon as Mr. Smithett had got the negro con- 
gregation in order, it was arranged that we should, 
in company, visit the Wakapoa, a district, inhabited 
by Arawaks, lying between the Pomeroon and the 
Moruca. Some months before, Cornelius and his 
family having visited some of his friends in that 
part, found that they refused to eat with them, or to 
touch food of which they had partaken. On asking 
the reason of this scornful treatment, the heathen 
said, " We hear that you are getting bad hearts, and 
forsaking the ways of our fathers, — we desire no 
fellowship with such." On this Cornelius and his 
party addressed them with convincing arguments, 
drawn from a comparison of their former with their 
present state, so that some of the inhabitants of 
Wakapoa said they would join the Christians. I 
heard of this circumstance from other parties, and 
resolved to take Cornelius and his brother-in-law, 
Thomas, with us as interpreters. 

The voyage from the upper Mission to Caledonia 
takes up the best part of a day. On arriving there, 
we found an old chief named John, the head of the 
Caribs of the Manawafin, who expressed himself 



EXPEDITION TO THE MANAWARIN. 



151 



willing to receive a visit from us. It was thought 
that this might prove a good opening for the Word 
of God among his people, and we therefore resolved 
to accompany him to his settlement, (though ill 
prepared for such an expedition,) and to visit the 
Wakapoa on our return. 

It was necessary to cross the sea, and we descended 
the river for that purpose. Wild mangroves grow 
near the mouths of these streams, among which the 
manati, or sea-cow, is sometimes met with. This 
creature grows to the length of sixteen feet, and is 
very thick and clumsy in its shape. It has a short 
head, which it sometimes elevates above the water 
to feed on the herbage which grows on the banks, 
supporting its body by two strong pectoral fins, 
which the female also uses in holding her young. 
It has no other fins, and the tail is like that of the 
whale. Though so large, it is harmless and quiet, 
and its flesh is good for food. 

The estuary or bay which extends from Pomeroon 
to the Monica was crossed without difficulty, the day 
being very fine. Near the mouth of the latter stream 
there are a number of wooden piles standing in the 
sea, being the remains of an old Dutch fortification, 
which was attacked by the Spaniards in 1797, who 
were repulsed with severe loss by a company of 
Dutch soldiers in British service, commanded by 
Captain Rochelle. It is said that shot are sometimes 
found in the earth on the opposite bank, the relics 
of this engagement. 

The Moruca is a very narrow and unpleasant 



152 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



stream, but valuable as affording a communication 
with the Waini, Barima, Amacuru, and other large 
rivers, by which the Orinoco may be reached without 
venturing on the sea. The Venezuelans carry on a 
traffic with our colony by this water communication, 
and their canoes continually pass and repass that 
way. 

We had to take up our quarters for the night on 
the banks of the Manawarin, and after prayers en- 
deavoured to compose ourselves to sleep . Our shelter 
was but imperfect, consisting of a small flat roof of 
manicole leaves, just sufficient to cover two ham- 
mocks. The Indians made large fires, and suspended 
their hammocks between the trees. This is the best 
protection from wild animals and reptiles which 
abound in that dense forest. A loud splash was 
occasionally heard in the water, which the Indians 
said was occasioned by the plunging of a small 
alligator. 

About midnight it began to rain heavily, and I was 
soon so wet from the water which dripped through 
the roof, as to be compelled to rise, and stand till 
morning. The Indians were likewise wet, and with 
difficulty managed to shelter one of the fires, so as to 
keep it from being extinguished. The sound of the 
heavy dropping of the rain from the leaves and 
branches was only varied by the occasional falling of 
some large seed-pod from the tall trees. All seemed 
uncomfortable, except my friend, who still slept on, 
and Thomas, who had contrived to fix one of our 
umbrellas over his hammock so as to keep his body 



RECEPTION BY THE CARIEI CHIEF. 



153 



dry. A little negro boy had been admitted to share 
this shelter, and lay in the hammock fast asleep, 
with his black woolly head on the red bosom of the 
good-natnred Indian. 

The next day we passed through a district in- 
habited by about 100 Waraus, several of whom we 
visited, but met with no success. They listened 
with perfect indifference to all we said, and were 
most importunate beggars. 

Very different was the reception we experienced 
at the dwelling of the old Caribi chief, who seemed 
to consider our visit as a great honour. He intro- 
duced us to his two sons, and to several of his tribe, 
promising to use all his influence to induce them to 
listen to Christian teaching. He would doubtless 
have done so had he lived ; but the hand of death 
was even then overshadowing himself and many of 
his people. The small-pox soon came upon them, 
and destroyed many, dispersing the survivors in 
terror all over the country for a time. 

At a Warau settlement which we visited, we found 
a poor girl who had been dreadfully burnt some 
time before, the fire having caught her hammock 
while she slept. She was in a shocking state, and it 
was evident that the Indian remedies were only in- 
creasing her sufferings. We offered to procure 
medical assistance, if her family would remove her 
to the coast. She seemed a very meek and patient 
child, and her look of gratitude for our sympathy 
was most affecting. Her friends, however, took no 
trouble about her, and she probably died soon after. 



154 



BRITISH GUIANA, 



On our return, being anxious to reach our stations 
before the Sabbath, we ventured to cross the sea soon 
after midnight, the weather being fine, though the 
night was dark. By the Divine protection we reached 
Pomeroon in safety, though wet with the sea-water, 
and waited shivering till day-light enabled us to 
ascend the Wakapoa. Accidents frequently occur 
on the sea at this place ; a few months later, a 
canoe much larger than ours was swamped, and 
a settler named St oil, and several Indians, were 
drowned, while attempting to cross it dining the 
night. 

The entrance to the Wakapoa is very narrow, but 
after proceeding a few miles, through many impedi- 
ments from trees, which have fallen from the banks 
into the stream, and remain fixed by their branches 
to the bottom, we at length reached a scene of great 
beauty, having an extensive prospect across a sa- 
vannah. Through this flows a deep stream, which, 
overflowing its banks during many months of the 
year, forms a beautiful lake, adorned with clumps of 
the eta palm, and several islands. A similar stream 
enters it from a savannah on the right hand, called 
Koraia. 

Having ascended the Wakapoa, we went direct to 
the habitation of the chief of the district, an infirm 
old Arawak named Sabaiko. After such remarks as 
my limited acquaintance with their language enabled 
me to make (the old man understanding but little 
English), Cornelius addressed him. He is the most 
eloquent speaker I have known among the Indian- 



VISITS TO WAKAPOA. 



155 



of his tribe ; and we listened with silence and plea- 
sure to his words. After giving such an account of 
Christianity as he was able, he spoke of the advan- 
tages, even in a temporal point of view, which attend 
its reception; — then of the love of the Son of God ; 
— thence he adverted to the affection displayed by 
his disciples in England, and others, in sending to con- 
vert the heathen ; then pointing towards us, "Father," 
said he, " these young men crossed the sea at mid- 
night to visit you, because they loved you; we came 
with them willingly, because we loved them." (This 
was indeed true ; and notwithstanding their broken 
rest and labour during the previous night, they con- 
tinued paddling till a late hour in the evening, being 
as anxious for the propagation of the Gospel of Christ 
as ourselves.) The old man seemed moved, and pro- 
mised to tell his people when they returned, most 
of them being absent. We left him, after prayer 
according to our custom, and returned to our separate 
stations. 

Our visit to Wakapoa having produced no good 
effect, we repeated it after some weeks, but with 
similar results. On this occasion the old chief's wife 
made her appearance with what seemed at a distance 
to be a singular head-dress ; but proved to be a 
young " baboon " or red monkey, which she carried 
in this manner, its feet being placed on her shoulders, 
and its grinning visage resting on its fore-paws upon 
her forehead. The Indian women take great care of 
various young animals, even suckling them as if they 
were their children. This disgusting practice is not 



156 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



confined to any one tribe, nor indeed to the Indian 
females alone. 

We visited this district many times, but with 
little good effect. Most of the young men of the 
different settlements had been draughted to accom- 
pany the military expedition to Pirara, and returned 
much worse disposed than they were before. Some 
families were there who had lived on the Demerara, 
and were remarkable for drunkenness. 

On one occasion I visited the Wakapoa alone ; 
Mr. Smithett being prevented from going by indis- 
position. On arriving there, I found that the people 
had all gone to the Koraia, where there was a great 
Maquarri dance. We arrived at the place of festivity 
in the afternoon, being guided by the shouts of the 
people there assembled. The scene surpassed in 
singularity all that I had previously heard or seen of 
Indian life. The young men and boys were ranged 
in two parallel rows, facing each other, each holding 
in his right hand the Maquarri, from which the dance 
takes its name. 

This is a whip, made of the silk grass, more than 
three feet long, and capable of giving a severe cut, 
as their bleeding legs amply testified. They waved 
these whips in their hands as they danced, uttering 
alternate cries, which resembled the note of a certain 
bird often heard in these forests. At some little 
distance from the dancers, were couples of men lash- 
ing each other on the leg. The man whose turn it was 
to receive the lash, stood firmly on one leg, advancing 
the other \ while his adversary, stooping, took de- 



MAQUAERI DANCE OF THE ARAWAKS. 157 

liberate aim, and springing from the earth to add 
vigour to his stroke, gave his opponent a severe cut. 
He never shrunk, nor gave other sign that he was 
hurt, than by a contemptuous smile, though blood 
might have been drawn by the lash, which, after a 
short dance, was returned with equal force. Nothing 
could exceed the good humour with which these pro- 
ceedings were carried on. It is expected of every 
man (except the aged) to join in this contest. One 
of them was scarcely able to walk from the punish- 
ment he had received ; but in general, after a few 
lashes, they drank paiwari together, and returned to 
the main body of the dancers, from which fresh 
couples were continually falling out to engage in the 
same contest. 

The old chief, Sabaiko, met and saluted me in a 
friendly manner; then seated himself in the house to 
view the proceedings of his people. He was dressed 
in European clothing, and had suspended round his 
neck the silver plate which marked his chieftainship ; 
and bore a silver-headed staff in his hand. Some of 
his people wore shirts, &c, combined in a singular 
manner with the ornaments of their native costume. 
I am sorry to add that most of them were in different 
stages of intoxication. One of them came up' to me, 
and abruptly demanded " if their dance was not very 
good ? " It being absurd to enter into any argument 
with a drunken person, I said, u that to-morrow I 
would tell him," with which answer he seemed quite 
satisfied, and soon resumed his place as one of the 
wildest of the throng. 



158 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



This dance was given in liononr of a deceased 
female who had been buried in the house. A wide 
plank lay on her grave, and on this were placed two 
bundles, containing the refuse of the silk grass of 
which the whips were made, which had been carefully 
preserved ; there were also two pieces of wood, 
rudely carved to resemble birds, and two others 
which were intended to represent infants. At a 
signal from the master of the house the dancing 
ceased; and all the men arranging themselves in 
procession, went round the house with slow and 
measured steps, the plank and wooden images being- 
carried before them. After this they arranged 
themselves near the grave, and one of them chanted 
something in a low voice, to which the others 
answered at intervals with four moans, by way of 
chorus. The articles carried in procession were 
then taken to a hole previously dug in the earth, 
and buried there. Two or three men appointed 
for the purpose, then drew forth their long knives, 
and rushing in among the dancers, snatched the 
whips from them, cut off the lash from each, and 
buried them with the other articles. It seemed to 
be a point of etiquette not to resign the whips with- 
out a struggle, and while the one party were snatching 
and cutting, the others were leaping and throwing 
somersets to avoid them, and it was surprising that 
none of them received any injury amid the confusion. 

After an interval of rest, twelve of the young men 
came forward to engage in another kind of dance, 
called Owiarri. These performers carried rods about 



DANCES OF THE AEAWAKS. 



159 



twelve feet in length, on the top of which were fixed 
small gourds with stones in them 3 and decorated 
with streamers of silk grass, painted red. They 
ranged themselves in parallel rows as before, and 
danced backwards and forwards, striking the ends of 
their rods upon the earth, and keeping time with the 
clash. Some young women went up to these dancers 
from time to time, and taking them by the arm 
danced with them ; then at a signal given by their 
partners, who shook the coverings of beetles' wings 
and other ornaments with which their legs were 
adorned, they ran off to their companions like 
frightened deer. 

Two canoes full of paiwari had been made for the 
occasion, and as these were now exhausted, the 
spirits of the company began to flag. I slept at a 
house at some little distance from the scene of the 
revels, and as the noise of the drunken orgies by 
degrees died awav, the moon rose in all the soft 
beauty of a tropical night ; and the stillness which 
pervaded all nature formed a striking contrast to 
the noise and turbulence which had marked the 
day. 

The next day, the visitors from the Wakapoa 
arose early and went to their canoes, in hopes to 
avoid meeting me. On sending a request for them 
to return, they replied, " that if I wished to speak 
with them I must go to them." On hastening to the 
water-side, I found about fifty people present, who 
were all seated in their canoes about to start ; and 
when I spoke to them they listened in gloomy 



160 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



silence, and without toning their heads towards me. 
Sabaiko then said, " I have no power over my 
people • myself and a few will hear, but most of 
them are unwilling." 

Returning to the scene of the preceding day's 
festivity, I found that headaches and sore legs were 
abundant, and received many applications for 
remedies. Under the influence of present feelings, 
some of them acknowledged that their dances were 
very bad, and said they would forsake them, and 
put themselves under Mr. Smithett's instructions ; — 
good resolutions, which with most abated as their 
illness went off and their legs became well. 

These dances had been often mentioned to me, 
but as our own people had discontinued them, I had 
given up aU expectation of witnessing one. I was 
particularly surprised at their indifference to pain, 
which they said was owing in a great measure to the 
paiwari and the presence of the women, who sit by 
as spectators of their powers of endurance. This 
dance was given by one of the men in honour of his 
sister who had been dead many months j her husband 
was present, and I was told that after the dance, his 
connexion with her family would entirely cease. 
Some have supposed that these dances were con- 
nected with the giving in marriage of some young 
female, and that contending rivals settled their 
claims with the Maquarri ; but this I am unable to 
decide, though it is not exclusively a funeral game. 
With respect to the images I could learn nothing : 
they were ceremonies derived from their ancestors, 



PASSAGE ACROSS A SWAMP. 



161 



but they seemed to have lost their original mean- 
ing. 1 

Mr. Smithett and myself on returning soon 
after, found a better disposition in many of these 
people. Some of them seemed inclined to accept 
the offered love of God, and to follow his Son as 
their Saviour and Lord. 

On another occasion, not being able to discover the 
path leading to one of their settlements, -we crossed 
the swamp, and found ourselves in an unpleasant 
position ; the crust of the quagmire, which was 
hardened by the sun, being in most places sufficient 
to bear our weight, but in some parts very thin and 
giving way beneath our feet. We soon sunk deep 
at every step, and I received a wound in the sole of 
my foot, by a splinter from a tree which was im- 
bedded beneath the surface. This confined me to 
my hammock for two days. Mr. Smithett got 
safely across, though he sunk in the mud very deeply 
at one spot. On our return the Indians led us 
across the swamp by another path, which was formed 
of a layer of trooly leaves, and was perfectly safe. 

In returning, we saw a young alligator asleep 

1 I have not seen among other tribes anything similar to the 
Maquarri, the institution of which seems to hear a faint resemblance 
to the funeral games of classic antiquity. It is also the nearest 
approach, observable among the Indians, to the friendly contests 
practised in Europe during the ages of chivalry. Though sufficiently 
barbarous, it is by no means to be compared to our own brutal prize- 
fights, or to pugilistic contests in general. And it would be a great 
benefit to the obstinate duellists of Europe and America, and especially 
to their unfortunate families, were the Maquarri to supersede among 
theni the use of sword and pistol, rifle and bowie-knife. 



162 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



on the surface of the water, which one of our 
Indians struck with a paddle, and placed in the 
hinder part of the canoe, thinking it to be dead. 
It soon revived, and as it began to move, the two 
lads who were sitting on the seat just over it, nearly 
overturned us in their hurry to escape. Having its 
head towards the pointed stern, it began to move up 
towards the steersman, who hastily threw one of his 
feet over each side of the canoe, and was preparing 
to slip into the stream, when the alligator, instinc- 
tively perceiving that by ascending it would not 
find the water, turned round, and began to run 
forwards, when its skull was fractured by a blow 
from the blade of a paddle, which prevented the 
little reptile from further mischief. 

On another occasion, while descending the narrow 
gorge or outlet of the Wakapoa, we were carried by 
the velocity of the current upon one of those 
dangerous stumps, (called snags on the rivers of the 
United States,) which brought us up with great 
violence ; and the canoe, after quivering for a few 
seconds, fell broadside into the water. She provi- 
dentially righted ; but had taken in much water, and 
we were in a state of great anxiety lest the bottom 
should have been pierced : this, however, was not 
the case, or the consequences, in that intricate 
and rapid stream, must have been very unpleasant, 
and perhaps fatal to some of us. 

Mr. Smithett, who was most indefatigable in his 
labours, succeeded, during a visit of nine days, in 
inducing about thirty Indians to commence atten- 



"captain peter's church." 163 

dance at Caledonia : and there was at length every 
prospect of success following much disappointment, 
among the Arawaks of the Wakapoa. 

In the Manawarin, among the Caribs, the prospect 
was even more cheering. The old chief John had 
been succeeded in his office by his son Peter, who, 
with all his family, had nearly lost his life with the 
small-pox. He was a man in the prime of life, low 
in stature, but athletic, and with a countenance ex- 
pressive of an open, straightforward character. His 
first act was to assemble his people, and construct 
a large building on a hill called Wasiba ; to be 
used as a place of worship when the missionaries 
might visit their river. This building was used 
for that purpose more than once, both by Mr. 
Smithett and myself ; and was known among the 
Indians by the name of " Captain Peter's Church." 
More than one hundred Caribs sometimes assembled 
there. 

The great drawback to the formation of an Indian 
Mission at Hackney, Caledonia, or the neighbouring 
estates, was the annoyance experienced from the 
musquitos, for which that district is notorious ; and 
which are numerous and annoying to a degree which 
in England can scarcely be comprehended. A faith- 
ful description of the plague of these insects is liable 
to the charge of exaggeration. The negroes and 
others fill their houses with smoke in the evenings, 
to drive them out ; a remedy which is almost as bad 
as the evil which it is designed to counteract. — The 
Indians avoid fixing their habitations in the neigh- 



164 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



bourhood of the sea, where these insects are most 
abundant. 

Notwithstanding this, the Arawaks from the 
Wakapoa, and occasionally a few Caribs from Mana- 
warin, endured this annoyance for one or two nights 
in the week, taking shelter among the negroes or in 
any shed which they could find vacant ; their atten- 
dance being encouraged by the manager of Cale- 
donia. 

Mr. Smithett had thus the satisfaction of seeing 
a year of labour close with a prospect of spiritual 
good among these people, brighter than could at one 
period have been expected. 



Though it tarry, wait for it." 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE WARAUS. 

Visit of Irai, the Caribi chief — The Bishop of Guiana visits the 
Missions — Removal of the Upper Mission to the Hill — Character and 
habits of the Waraus — Unsuccessful efforts among them — Surprising 
change — Another Mission for their benefit commenced — Mr. Nowers 
appointed — Exertions of the Post-holder and the Indians. 

During the period in which the events recorded 
in the last chapter took place, the two districts were 
visited by the Rev. C. Haskins, for the purpose of 
administering the Holy Sacraments. Such oppor- 
tunities were highly valued. 

In October 1842, Irai (or Erie), the young Caribi 
chief whom I had formerly seen in company with 
Mr. Youd, was brought to Pomeroon by the Rev. 
J. H. Bernau. I met the party near the Tapacuma 
Lake, and they arrived the next day at our Mission. 

Mr. Bernau having preached at the chapel to an 
attentive congregation, we proceeded on the following 
morning to Carawob, where it had been resolved to 
hold a meeting of the Caribs. About eighty of that 
tribe assembled, many of whom had been at church 
the previous day. Towards evening Irai began ad- 
dressing them on the object of our visit, and as he 
possessed considerable eloquence, they listened with 
much attention to the words of their native tongue 



166 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



from the lips of a descendant of their great chief, 
Mahanarva, whose visit seemed to produce a good 
effect ; though as Commodore, the chief of Pomeroon, 
with his family and many of his people, had been 
brought under Christian instruction for more than a 
year, they could not then have said (as formerly they 
might) "Xone careth for us." 

Four months after this event, the Bishop of Guiana, 
who had lately arrived in his diocese, visited the 
Missions. The particulars of this visit are related 
in the Journal of his Lordship's chaplain. 

After describing the scenery of the Tapacuma. 
and giving an account of an adventure with a large 
snake, which was struck by one of the Indians with 
his paddle, as it lay asleep on a branch overhanging 
the stream, and escaped by dropping itself into the 
water, the writer proceeds : — 

" To return to our narrative : a large assemblage 
of Indians was formed at " the Mission, u about two 
hundred Arawaks and Caribs ; who crowded around, 
and seemed highly gratified at the visit of the 
Bishop. At evening prayer, Mr. Brett's house was 
crowded to overflowing, and all exhibited a marked 
and reverential deportment. The chapel is a neat 
little building, and with the Mission-house and 
Indian cottages forms a pleasing picture." 

In this district forty Indians and others were con- 
firmed, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
administered to forty. At Caledonia the Bishop 
confirmed thirty-two persons, and administered the 
Lord's Supper to about forty. " This ended the 



NEW MISSION SETTLEMENT. 



167 



Bishop's route ; and the next morning he returned 
on his way home, expressing great satisfaction at the 
flourishing state of the Missions, and full of hope as 
respects the rapid spread of the gospel among an 
interesting, and till lately much neglected people." 1 

Much benefit to the Indians resulted from this 
visit of the Bishop ; who, after admitting their 
teacher into holy orders, purchased a fine hill for 
the Mission settlement, about a mile higher up the 
riyer than the site of the chapel. On this spot there 
were standing two buildings of wood, one of which 
was new roofed by the Indians, and became the 
residence of the Missionary ; the other forming an 
excellent school-house. In the course of two months 
the former site of the Mission was deserted, except 
on the Sabbath, when the riyer was coyered with 
canoes proceeding to and from the house of God. 

It was not without a feeling of regret that a place 
endeared by so many interesting associations could 
be quitted, although the new place of residence was 
eyery way to be preferred for health and comfort ( 
It soon became a beautiful spot. The most pro- 
minent object is a silk-cotton tree, which may cer- 
tainly be termed the giant of the woods, as it far 
surpasses in size and beauty eyery other tree which 
I haye seen. The foliage hangs around it in beau- 
tiful luxuriance, and numerous parasitical plants coyer 
its branches, and entwine its trunk. 

The Indian name of this spot is Kabakaburi ; but 
it is more generally called by the settlers, "the Hill," 
(1) Annual Report of S. P. G. 1843. 



168 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



as it is the first hill met with on the banks of the 
river. It was formerly an Arawak settlement; and 
the people of that tribe looked with joy on its ac- 
quisition. A large village soon sprung up, one half 
of which was erected by the Arawaks, and the other 
by the Caribs, who here dwelt together in Christian 
peace and friendship. They began to put up their 
houses in irregular clusters, and so close together, 
that all must have been destroyed if one caught fire. 
I was obliged to interfere, and lay out the village on 
a regular plan ; the advantage of which was soon 
perceived by them. Notwithstanding this, it ap- 
peared broken into detached portions by beautiful 
masses of the tall and feather-like bamboos ; while the 
cocoa-nut and paripi palms — the bread-nut, mango, 
orange, lime, guava, and other trees, " pleasant to the 
sight or good for food," added to the beauty of the 
settlement by their varied shapes and foliage. 

A scene of more tranquil happiness than this 
Mission presented during the next four years, might 
perhaps have been sought in vain throughout the 
world. The greatest interruption to this even course 
arose from my frequent missionary expeditions. 
During one of these, serious irregularities took place, 
the young Indians having no one to overlook them. 
Three offenders were dismissed; and black people, 
who had been the principal cause of the evil, were 
forbidden to stay at the Mission. To obviate the 
recurrence of these things, it seemed best to appoint 
an Indian to take charge of the scholars at all times, 
and to teach them dming my absence. For this 



DEPARTURE OF MR. SMTFHETT. 



169 



purpose I made choice of Thomas, who was the only 
adult able to teach the junior classes, and whose 
conduct was exemplary in that station, while his wife 
proved a valuable help to the Mission in many ways. 

Mr. Smithett left Pomeroon in 1843. for a station 
at the mouth of the Corentyn, at the other extremity 
of the colony. His departure was much regretted 
both by myself and the people. Both stations then 
fell under my charge ; the appointment of Mr. D. 
Campbell soon after as Catechist to the negro district, 
being a great assistance. 

The Caribs of the Upper Pomeroon kept aloof 
from the Mission. Unlike their brethren, though 
often visited, they showed no disposition to listen to 
the Gospel of truth. We had succeeded in inducing 
one of these families to attend Divine service, and 
to put two children to school, — a boy and a girl. 
Both these were in a state of nudity, and it was 
impossible to introduce them to the school in that 
condition. I clothed the boy. but had no apparel 
for the girl. On mentioning the case to the Arawak 
children, one of the girls immediately ran to her 
pegall (or basket), took out her second frock, and 
clothed the little stranger, though of a different 
tribe. When the unprincipled Caribi family found 
that then* children had obtained some clothing, they 
took them away with the garments which had been 
given to them, and brought them back no more. 

The small-pox in its late ravages had desolated 
some of the settlements in their district. At one 
place I had counted sixteen persons, among whom 



170 



BEITISH GUIAXA. 



were eight handsome youths just approaching man- 
hood. Nearly the whole of these had perished. It 
is scarcely possible to describe the effects of these 
periodical scourges, which are little noticed, except 
by the missionaries, and in the reports of the post- 
holders to the colonial government. 

The majority of these Caribs of the Upper Pome- 
roon were ignorant of English, and influenced by 
one of their number, who had acquired a knowledge 
of our tongue, and acted in opposition to the old 
chief, Commodore, who was wanting in energy. On 
visiting this man, I found him to be a handsome and 
intelligent person. He was living in the barbarous 
style of his uncivilized brethren; but was to me very 
civil in his language, though perfectly indifferent to 
the great object in view. He "sought to escape from 
the subject, and at last cut it short by rising from 
his stool, and asking me to go with him to see a 
large king of the vultures which he had captured. 
It was indeed a splendid bud, and of large size : but 
it was hardly possible to go very near it on account 
of the odour of a number of putrifving fish given it 
for food, over which it spread and napped its wings, 
anticipating the future banquet. The head of this 
beautiful bud, destitute of feathers, but shaded with 
delicate tints of pink and orange, and set off with 
brilliant pearl-coloured eyes, seemed, together with 
the ruff round its neck and its other plumage, to call 
forth the admiration of my host : but he could see 
in the Lord Jesus and his religion nothing to desire. 
He promised to visit the Mission : but broke his word 



THE WABAU TRIBE. 171 

Other visits seemed productive of no effect among 
the Caribs of this district; though we had gained 
over the chiefs of Pomeroon and Manawarin, and 
half their tribe, many of whom attended regularly. 

Matters being in this condition, the state of the 
Waraus became a subject of deep reflection and 
earnest solicitude. 

The situation and condition of this tribe have been 
already mentioned. They have always been con- 
sidered as the most despicable of the coast tribes of 
Guiana. In person they are well made and strong, 
and capable of great exertions ; but they are gene- 
rally very careless of their personal appearance, and 
their filthiness is proverbial. They care so little for 
clothing, that even their females frequently content 
themselves with a small piece of the bark of a tree, 
or the net-like covering of the young leaf of the 
cocoa-nut or cabbage-palm ; and their appearance is 
squalid and peculiarly disagreeable. Many of the 
young persons of this tribe possess veiy good features; 
which I have once or twice seen disfigured by a thin 
piece of silver, suspended from the cartilage of the 
nostrils, and covering the upper lip. 

As they so seldom cover their bodies, their skins 
are darker than those of the other tribes. It has 
been said, that it is difficult at times to distinguish 
the Warau from the negro ; but this is incorrect : 
from continual exposure and want of cleanliness 
their skins are somewhat darker than those of other 
Indians, but that is ail. 

Though careless to the last degree, and averse to 



172 BRITISH GUIANA* 

continuous employment, yet no Indians are so much 
sought after as labourers. When they can be in- 
duced to begin, they will do more work than others, 
and are satisfied with less wages. 

They inhabit the swampy district so often men- 
tioned, and, being near the sea, are excellent fisher- 
men, and subsist much upon the productions of the 
waters. They cultivate cassava and other vegetables, 
but do not pay sufficient attention to agriculture, and 
in times of scarcity betake themselves to the eta palms, 
which abound in the swamps. The fruit of the eta 
is round, and grows in large clusters. It is a hard 
nut, containing a kernel, and covered with an orange- 
coloured pulp, of which they are fond. This tree is 
of the greatest service to them : they make of its 
pith a substitute for bread, while its trunk is some- 
times used in flooring their dwellings, and its leaf 
supplies the fibrous material of which, among other 
useful things, they make strong and serviceable 
hammocks, which form an important article in then 
little traffic. 

They are also noted for making canoes, with which 
they supply the whole colony, the Arawaks some- 
times undertaking long voyages to their remote 
settlements, and bringing the canoes, to be again sold 
to the settlers, or disposed of among themselves. 
The canoe, or woibaka, as it is called by the Waraus, 
is most excellently adapted to the wants of the 
Indians, though shaped and hollowed with rude 
implements and without any assistance from the 
rules of art. Some of them used by the Spaniards 



THE WABATJ TRIBE. 



173 



are said to have been known to cany one hundred 
men and a three-pounder; 1 but the largest that I 
have seen within the British boundaries could not 
have conveniently carried more than fifty persons. 

Were the Waraus more careful of their gains, and 
more prompt to avail themselves of advantages, no 
tribe in Guiana could be in more respectable circum- 
stances ; but they have not yet learned to make the 
slightest provision beyond what absolute necessity 
requires. If successful in hunting, a scene of ex- 
cessive gluttony follows, until the game is consumed, 
and returning hunger forces them to exertion. If 
unsuccessful, they are capable of enduring great 
privation. They can also paddle a canoe with 
greater vigour and for a longer time than the other 
Indians. 

Such are the Waraus, strong and hardy in person, 
but slovenly and dirty ; merry and cheerful in 
disposition, but careless and improvident. 

They are utterly ignorant, and, consequently, 
very superstitious, their sorcerers being con- 
sidered to possess greater power over the evil 
spirits than those of any other tribe. Of all the 
accessible tribes of Guiana, they alone had kept 
entirely aloof from Christianity, and it thus became 
necessary to use the more earnest efforts for their 
conversion. 

The Waraus in Manawarin continued as obdurate 
as they were when first solicited to embrace the 
Gospel. After repeated efforts during two years, 

l M. Martin, p. 50. 



174 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



finding no change in their disposition, I resolved to 
try another field of laborer, and began to visit a 
small river in the vicinity, called Haimara-Cabura. 
Little satisfaction attended the first visit, as the 
people at the settlement where we took np our 
quarters were at no pains to conceal their indif- 
ference. A fine young fellow had a kind of javelin, 
the shaft of which was made of a strong reed, in 
one end of which was inserted a piece of hard wood, 
forming the point. He continued to hurl this at a 
mark on the soft stem of a plantain-tree, which was 
pierced through, the pointed wood remaining firmly 
fixed in the tree, while the elastic staff flew back 
towards the man who had cast it. He told me that 
this was used in striking the morocote and other fine 
fish; a few seeds, of which they are fond, being scattered 
on the water, while the Indian watches their rising, 
and stuns or kills them with this species of dart. 

These people paid little or no attention to our 
evening worship, — did not wish to be taught, — and 
seemed thoroughly ill-tempered. After we had re- 
tired to rest, a child happening to cry, one of the 
women arose from her hammock, and taking a large 
piece of firewood, she struck it violently several 
times as it lay, and then suddenly caught it up and 
hurled it from her. It fell on the ground, appa- 
rently much hurt. I had not witnessed such bru- 
tality among the other tribes ; but concluded that 
they were all out of temper because I had brought 
no rum to give them,- for which they were very im- 
portunate. The next morning they demanded money 



INDIFFERENCE OF THE WARAUS. 



175 



for the shelter they had afforded myself and party, — 
a thing I had never heard of among the Indians of 
Guiana. 

The Waraus seemed utterly destitute of self- 
respect. When the advantages which attend the 
reception of the Gospel were set before them, and 
the example of the Arawaks was held up for their 
imitation, no result followed • they were perfectly 
satisfied to be as they were, acknowledging their 
inferiority. " God's Word is good for the Arawak ; 
not good for the Warau," was the reply of an old 
man on one occasion. " We are not so good as the 
Arawaks," said he ; and when I tried to convince him 
that "God has made of one blood all nations of men,' 1 
and that all are so far equal, he seemed incapable of 
comprehending the assertion. Two thumbs were 
then held up to him; and one called an Arawak and 
the other a Warau. This Indian method of illus- 
tration seemed to strike him at once, and to raise his 
own nation in his ideas. Still there was no apparent 
change in the disposition of any person of this tribe, 
and had it not been for their Caribi neighbours, I 
should have looked upon the time consumed by each 
visit as entirely thrown away. 

They were thoroughly wedded to their super- 
stitions, and practised them without reserve. On 
one occasion we passed an old man fishing in a canoe 
on the Manawarin. The clouds threatened rain, and 
when he perceived it, he began to use extraordinary 
gesticulations, flourishing his arms towards it, and 
shouting his incantations to drive it away. It soon 



176 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



cleared up, and the old sorcerer rejoiced at his 
success, as he deemed it. 

In the course of another voyage, we passed a 
Warau similarly engaged in fishing, and apparently 
so intent upon his pursuit that he could neither 
observe us passing nor answer our salutation. When 
we had got a little distance from him, he inquired 
of the Arawak who was steering our canoe, whether 
I had many of the " hebo," or evil spirits, attending 
me. The answer, " They are entirely wanting," was 
accompanied by a loud laugh from my crew. It 
appeared that the Waraus in their ignorance re- 
garded a missionary as a powerful enchanter, and the 
change in the other tribes as the effect of magic. 

These discouragements continued up to the close 
of 1844. A record of one of these visits made in 
the October of that year, contains the conviction 
which was then deeply impressed upon my mind, — 
" all my efforts are of little use." 

It is impossible for man to judge ; the Lord alone 
has power over the hearts of men. While thus 
recording the utter hopelessness of the case, as it 
appeared to me, some of these people commenced 
attending the Caledonia station. An account of this 
was speedily sent to me by Mr. Campbell, the Cate- 
chist there ; and it seemed expedient to visit them 
without delay. Accordingly, I set out on the 15th 
of December for the Haimara-Cabura ; resting the 
first night at Caledonia, and the second at an Arawak 
settlement in the Koraia, the scene of the Maquarri 
dance. The weather was tempestuous, the rainy 



INDIFFERENCE OF THE WARAUS. 177 

season having set in with violence, and we took this 
ronte to avoid the necessity of crossing the sea, as 
there is a passage called the Itabbo leading to the 
Manawarin through the forests, which is only 
navigable when the whole country is inundated. On 
the morning of the 18th we set out from the settle- 
ment in the Koraia, across the savannah, then 
covered with water. The reeds and grass appearing 
above the surface caused it to resemble at a little 
distance a pleasant lawn ; while the islets and the 
main land were finely wooded, and an eta-tree here 
and there stood in solitary beauty in the midst of 
the savannah. A double rainbow appeared as we 
started, whose bright colours contrasted vividly with 
the dark clouds as it spanned our intended course. 
We proceeded through the Itabbo, meeting with 
much difficulty, owing to the fallen trees which 
obstructed the channel. I had formerly travelled 
that way with Mr. Smithett, but the impediments 
had much increased in number since that time. 

We arrived at the settlement in Haimara-Cabura, 
and the intelligence soon spread through the neigh- 
bourhood. The Waraus began to assemble. I was 
not sorry, for there were but two men at the place, — 
an old and a young one; the former very savage 
and crabbed in his manner. Endeavours to soothe 
him, by praising the beauty of a panther's skin, 
which he had made into a cap, and wore with the 
tail appending behind, were all in vain ; he turned a 
deaf ear to everything spoken, whether pleasant or 
serious. The young fellow was also very annoying, 
N 



178 



BEITISH GUIANA. 



for he continued to dance the ungraceful, staggering 
dance of his nation at intervals during the whole 
day. 

When their chief, named Damon, arrived, he told 
me that the old man was a great sorcerer, which ex- 
plained his moroseness. "When I began to instruct 
the people, he seemed much excited ; and when he 
saw them begin to arrange themselves for evening 
worship, probably thinking that the spirits who 
favoured the Christian religion were more powerful 
than his own familiars, he paid them the compliment 
of putting on a clean white shirt, and joining us. 

The last party who came were heard about this 
time a long distance off, shouting with all their 
might. I met them as they landed from their 
canoes, and told them that we were about to speak 
to the great God, whom they must approach with 
silent reverence, or they would provoke his anger. 
This had the desired effect, and these poor ignorant- 
beings behaved with great reverence during the singing 
and prayer. I afterwards addressed them in the 
broken English of which many of them know a 
little. The danger of man's present condition, and 
the love of God in sending his Son to die for our 
redemption, seemed to affect some of them much. 
They appeared exceedingly anxious to be taught. A 
reflection which it was impossible to avoid, was, " Is 
this then the time appointed by the Most High to 
commence the ingathering of the Waraus 1 " There 
was at least a good hope of it. 

To relate every incident of this interesting visit 



SURPRISING CHANGE. 



179 



would be here impossible. When night came on, the 
people whose habitations were near departed; the 
others tied np their hammocks wherever they could 
find a place. There was much laughter over their 
fires, and more talking ; but all agreed to follow me 
on my return to Caledonia, and to continue to 
attend there until a teacher could be placed among 
them. They fulfilled then promise, and on the 
Sabbath the place of worship was crowded with 
Indians, — Arawaks, Waraus, and Caribs. People 
from every neighbouring creek, some even from 
Moruca, came without having been invited. I was 
unwell, having been wet, more or less, the four 
previous days; yet I was enabled to perform the 
regular service, and to baptize four Arawaks from 
Wakapoa, who had been under instruction for a long 
time. 

This sudden change in the disposition of the 
Waraus drew the attention of the Post-holder, Mr. 
W. C. McClintock, who had always used his in- 
fluence in inducing the Indians to receive Christian 
instruction. They were now become too numerous 
to be accommodated at Caledonia, where the mus- 
quitoes were also painfully annoying, depriving them 
of sleep. The sea, which they had to cross, had 
sometimes swamped the Caribi canoes, which were 
very small, and only adapted for smooth water and 
the heads of the rivers. On these occasions both men 
and women jumped into the sea, and hung by the 
canoe with one hand till the water could be baled 
out. Notwithstanding, they complained that they 



180 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



had sometimes lost their hammocks, and got their 
bread spoiled by the sea water. A new station thus 
became necessary. Mr. McClintock informed me of 
the existence of a fine hill, or elevated sand-reef, on 
the banks of the Mornca, near the mouth of Haimara- 
Cabura ; and he took advantage of the disposition of 
the Waraus to assemble a great number of them, 
who began to cut down the forest to form a Mission 
station among themselves. 

While he was thus engaged, I went to Georgetown, 
and brought the matter before the Demerara and 
Essequibo branch of the Society for the Propagation 
of the Gospel. The application was immediately 
received, and a sum of money voted to commence with, 
but there was no Missionary whose services were 
available. When this was made apparent, and the 
question, " Whom shall we send ? " proposed by the 
Venerable Archdeacon Lugar, Mr. J. H. lowers, who 
was present, rose up, and offered himself for the work, 
and was immediately appointed to the Mission. 

On my return I found some hundreds of Indians 
assembled at the site of the proposed Mission station. 
They had already cleared a large tract of land under 
the superintendence of the Post-holder, who had 
erected a shed for his accommodation, over which 
the British colours were waving in the breeze. Our 
flag has been displayed amid many a scene of carnage 
and strife, and has floated over many scenes of peace 
and prosperity, but never has it been displayed in a 
more high and honourable cause. It seemed to re- 
present the British Nation as fulfilling the great 



ANOTHER MISSION COMMENCED. 



181 



purpose for which God has given so many millions 
of the heathen into her hand. 

Some of the Waraus present had assembled from 
very remote quarters. They were headed by an old 
chief named Clementia, who drew them up in order, 
forming three sides of a square, to hear the de- 
cision of the Society. The old chief bore his silver 
headed staff in his hand, and had on a fashionable 
black coat, but was without shirt, trousers, or any 
other garment, except his Indian cloth. His people 
were even wilder and more grotesque than himself. 
The message with which I was charged, was explained 
to the Waraus by St oil, Mr. McClintock's inter- 
preter, and great was their joy to hear that a resident 
Missionary was about to be placed among them. 

The work then proceeded with great rapidity. In 
every direction was heard the crash of falling trees, 
and the shouts of the Waraus. The posts and tim- 
ber for the erection of the Chapel and Mission- 
house were soon cut, and a settler employed to 
erect the latter. 

None of these Indians received wages. They pro- 
vided their own cassava bread, and a few casks of 
salt-fish furnished them with rations. A puncheon 
of molasses was also sent for their use by P. Hughes, 
Esq. of Plantation Anna Eegina. 

How different were the prospects in March 1845, 
as it regarded the spread of the Gospel of Christ 
among these people, to those presented six months 
before ! These events may seem strange to the 
reader, but they were equally surprising at the time 



182 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



to those who witnessed them. To myself especially, 
who during many fruitless expeditions had seen so 
many proofs of their unwillingness, the present 
change seemed an evident mark of the finger of God. 
Nor was this feeling lessened at beholding the manner 
in which the altered disposition of the Waraus was 
met by the exertions of the Post-holder, the deter- 
mination of the Society, and the appointment of a 
Missionary, between whom and myself there existed 
the bond of former friendship, and a recent family 
tie. 

This was the second important Indian Mission 
undertaken by the Society in the course of nine 
months. The former stations were floimshing, and 
a spirit of inquiry had gone forth among the people. 
Of the promising appearance of all the Indian Mis- 
sions in the Colony, it was observed, that it might 
at that time have been said almost without a figure 
of speech : — 

" The wilderness and the solitary place shall be 
glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom 
as the rose." 



CHAPTER X. 



THE INDIAN MISSION AT WAKAMUKL 

Conversation with an old TVarau — Erection of the Mission Buildings — 
Sickness of Missionaries — Extraordinary Imposture — Long Drought 
— Waramuri Mission nearly destroyed by Eire — E amine — Mortality 
by Dysentery — Progress of the Mission— Distant Indians desire a 
Teacher. 

The name of the hill which the Indians had so 
speedily cleared of the venerable forest that had 
covered it for ages, is Waranmri. This is the name 
of a species of black ant with which the spot 
abounded. It is about sixty miles (travelling by 
water) from the Upper Mission in Pomeroon. 

About a month after the circumstances recorded in 
the last chapter, I found the clearing completed, and 
the frame of the Mission-house erected • all the people 
were gone, except the interpreter, and an old wild 
looking Warau, named John, and his family, who 
were awaiting the arrival of the new Missionary. As 
this was delayed for some days, a good opportunity 
was afforded of examining the situation. 

A ridge of sand gradually ascends from the mouth 
of the Haimara-Cabura to a considerable height, 



184 



BRITISH GUIANA* 



terminating abruptly in a conical kill, somewhat re- 
sembling in shape a tumulus, or ancient barrow. 
Three sides of this are precipitous, and the fourth is 
connected with the sand-reef. The cone is composed 
of sand mingled with a dark loose mould, containing 
an abundance of small shells, resembling those of 
periwinkles, marked with alternate stripes of white 
and black. These were so abundant in some places 
that the mould when taken up in a shovel appeared 
full of them. Between this hill and the Moruca 
there is a swamp, about a quarter of a mile in width. 
Both the swamp and the high land were then com- 
pletely covered with prostrate trees of considerable 
size. From the top of the hill we could look down 
upon the forest, and trace the course of the Moruca 
and two tributary streams by the trees on then- 
banks, which are higher than those in the other 
parts of the forest. 

Being desirous of knowing what the Waraus 
thought of the sand and shells on which we stood, 
I inquired of the old man through the interpreter. 
He at once said, that when the world was made that 
ridge was the sea-coast. A conversation then arose 
respecting the creation of mankind. The old man 
said that three different races were made by God, — 
white, red, and black ; that He intended the white 
men to follow their civilized habits, the red men to 
live as the Indians were then doing, and that the 
black people were formed only to serve the white. 
(Too many of the latter colour seem to have agreed 
in doctrine with the old Warau.) On assuring him 



ERECTION OF MISSION BUILDINGS. 



185 



that the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ was in- 
tended for all men, he dissented, observing that it was 
doubtless good for white men, as they professed it, 
but not for the red men, or they would have followed 
it from the beginning. 

It soon appeared that his principal objection to 
the Gospel arose from the fact that he had two wives, 
and had already discovered that Christian converts 
would only be allowed to keep one. He spoke with 
great animation on this point. " I really cannot 
put away my young wife," said he ; " and as for the 
old one, I certainly will not dismiss her ; for she 
grew up with me, and is the mother of most of my 
children." When told that God had appointed but 
one wife for each man, he seemed to think it very 
hard. On being asked why a man should have two 
wives, and a woman not be allowed two husbands, he 
directly said that his tribe did not consider either 
practice to be bad ; and that he knew a Warau 
woman who had three. Our further conversation I 
cannot repeat. It proved the utter grossness of 
their minds, and showed that my brother would have 
no easy task in endeavouring to remove by Gospel 
light the thick darkness which had covered the 
people. 

. When Mr. Nowers arrived, his exertions were so 
well seconded by the Indians, that the erection of 
the buildings advanced rapidly. They were built 
of rough timber, and thatched with trooly leaves. 
As the Moruca and its tributary streams are destitute 
of this tree, every leaf had to be fetched from the 



186 



BRITISH GUIANA, 



Poineroon in their small canoes, each trip occupying 
at least three days. The labour thus bestowed was 
only remunerated by a small allowance of salt-fish 
and molasses. As no sailing-vessel can enter the 
Monica, the boards for the buildings were fetched by 
the Indians in the same manner from its mouth, a 
few at a time. The Waraus and Manawarin Caribs 
did most of this laborious work ; the Arawaks in 
the vicinity of the Mission thatched the sides and 
roofs of the buildings, and the carpenter's work was 
performed by settlers from the Pomeroon. The sum 
granted by the Demerara and Essequibo District 
Society was about 170?. sterling, and the labour of 
the Indians would have cost at least an equal sum 
had it been necessary to pay them. 

As soon as the house was habitable, Mr. Nbwera 
brought his family to the Mission. An accident 
happened while they were passing up the Monica, 
which might hare been attended with fatal conse- 
quences. The mouth of this stream forms a rapid 
during the rainy season, from its extreme narrowness 
and the immense quantity of water which there 
finds its outlet. Wild mangroves overhang it. whose 
roots and branches, somewhat resembling those of 
the banian-tree in the East, descend into the water. 
While the crew of the large canoe which contained 
the family was striving to overcome the opposing 
current, two Indian boys from Pomeroon Mission, 
who were in a small canoe loaded with plantains, got 
entangled among the mangroves ; their frail craft 
turned broadside to the current, and was driven 



SICKNESS OF THE MISSIONARIES. 187 

violently against a mass of spreading roots. One of 
them, an Arawak, was completely hoisted out by a 
branch, and hung suspended, clinging to it for some 
little time \ then, without losing his presence of 
mind, he swung himself several feet into the nearly- 
overturned canoe. It was a moment of great anxiety 
to us, as we were quite unable to approach them. 
But providentially the canoe was not swamped, 
though very small; the impeding roots and branches 
gave way, and they slipped through them, and shot 
down the stream with us to await the moment of 
high water. They were neither of them twelve 
years old, and though excellent swimmers, must 
have been carried under the roots of the trees and 
drowned had they fallen into the stream. 

A little after dark we reached Waramuri, and as 
the sound of the paddles was heard by the people 
on the hill, a great number of lights were seen 
advancing to meet us \ and on landing, the hearty 
greeting of about one hundred Caribi men and 
women was almost overwhelming. All were pressing 
to shake hands, and to carry some little article from 
the canoe to the house. It was a grateful spectacle, 
and very cheering to my friends. 

When the Bishop visited this part of the country 
in August 1845, the Mission-house was completed, 
and the chapel was ready for Divine Service by the 
end of the year. 

Sickness deprived both Pomeroon and Waramuri 
of the services of their respective Missionaries from 
August to November, 1845. I was first compelled 



188 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



to leave my station by the effects of a severe fever, 
and Mr. Nowers had a very serious illness while 
visiting Georgetown for the purpose of being or- 
dained, his wife being dangerously ill at the same 
time. 

About this time a remarkable imposture was prac- 
tised upon the Indians in that part of Guiana. A 
person pretending to be the Lord, went into the far 
interior with some deluded followers, and established 
himself in the upper part of the Cuyuni, a large 
tributary of the Essequibo. From this distant spot, 
which is near the Orinoco, he sent emissaries into 
the neighbourhood of all the missions, calling on the 
Indians to quit their homes and provision-grounds, 
and go to him. They were told that they should 
possess lands which would yield a large crop of 
cassava from a single stick, and various other ab- 
surdities, very alluring to the indolent Indian. These 
tales, joined to threats of horrible destruction which 
should come upon all who refused to go, had their 
influence upon the minds of many, and lured them 
away. 

This movement commenced with the Wacawoios 
near the Essequibo, who had been observed to be 
providing themselves with fire-arms for some time 
before they set out. They were anxious to get the 
Caribs to join them, and hundreds of Indians of 
different tribes went from all parts of the country to 
" see God," as they termed it, some of whom perished 
by sickness on the way, and others found themselves 
in a state of destitution on arriving at the spot. 



EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTURE. 



189 



Intelligence of this singular movement was con- 
veyed to the Bishop, whose invalid guest I was at 
that time. Having learned the particulars, I has- 
tened to the Mission, though still very weak \ and 
Mr. Nowers followed with his family as soon as he 
was able to travel. We found that not one baptized 
person, and only one catechumen, had been enticed 
away ; but those who had kept aloof from sound 
instruction had fallen readily into the deceitful 
snare. 

In the more remote districts some settlements 
were completely deserted. The inhabitants of others 
had been part of the way, and then returned, 
famished and ashamed. In the upper part of the 
Pomeroon I found that the course of the river was 
obstructed by two trees of great height, which had 
been cut from the banks to afford their families the 
means of crossing in their hasty march. Still the 
number of Caribs who went was but small compared 
with that of the Wacawoios, and the Waika branch 
of that tribe deserted their settlements on the Barima 
and Barama for a long time. 

Kobise, the Caribi catechumen, who had been 
deluded away, soon returned to Waramuri, and thus 
detailed the particulars of his journey: — "We 
travelled as fast as we could for thirteen days, and 
at length arrived at a savannah where some hundreds 
of Wacawoios and others were assembled. They 
had as yet scarcely any field provisions, and game 
was scarce from the multitude of hunters. I was 
led to a little enclosed hut, from which I heard 



190 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



a voice commanding me to return, and fetch my 
friends and neighbours, as a great fire and water 
would come upon the whole world except that spot." 
He said also that the impostor did not make himself 
visible, but remained concealed from all, as far as he 
could learn, delivering his predictions by night • and 
that his voice sounded like that of a white person. 
He also added, that on looking around him he could 
see nothing but drinking and dancing, a portion of 
the little cassava bread which they could obtain being- 
made into paiwari ; and from this he became ap- 
prehensive that it was a delusion of the Yourika, 
or evil spirit, and made his escape from them the 
same night, and returned. The Wacawoios told him 
that if the Post -holder, or any other white person, 
chose to come to them to examine and interfere, he 
might do so, but should never return. 1 

This strange story, the leading facts of which have 
been well authenticated by other evidence, is a re- 
markable illustration of Matt. xxiv. 26, (a text which 
struck the Indians with astonishment when it was 
explained to them on this occasion,) inasmuch as the 
impostor was both in a secret chamber and in the 
desert. It also shows how necessary it is that every 
effort should be used to spread among these simple 
people the knowledge of that Gospel which alone 
can make them truly wise. At the same time, it 

1 On my asking the son of the chief of the Pomeroon Caribs whether 
he thought the Wacawoios would use foul play, he gave a contemptuous 
smile, and said, " A bad nation, the Wacawoios ; they will never fight 
by day, but only in the night." The Caribs look upon them with some 
contempt, but dread their treachery. 



LONG DROUGHT. 



191 



proves that the knowledge of the existence of a 
Saviour from destruction had even then spread very 
widely, although to many it was but as a glimmering 
light, not sufficient to keep them from going into 
error. 

No satisfactory account of this impostor has ever 
reached me, and I cannot commit to paper the con- 
jectures and reports which I have heard respecting 
him. The delusion lasted for a long time, nor do I 
know whether it has yet ended, or the impostor met 
his fate, which, as he is said to be fond of paiwari, 
may be as fearful and violent as that of the pre- 
tended prophet of the Mormons, unless averted by 
deep repentance. 

A long period of drought ensued. The rainy 
season, which is expected to commence in November, 
was confined to a few partial showers ; and the earth 
was parched, and vegetation dried up by the long 
period of heat, which lasted from August 1845, 
until the following May. 

During the height of this drought, Waramuri 
Mission was in danger of being destroyed by fire. 
The swamp in front of it has been already described. 
It was then covered with dry vegetation, and the 
trees which had been cut down a year before. A 
Caribi Indian, named Plata, incautiously set fire to 
this, and the flames soon began to rise, and spread 
with rapidity, covering a space a quarter of a mile in 
extent, and advancing towards the Mission. As soon 
as the alarm was given, Mr. Nowers and the Indians 
present ran to clear away the dried grass and brush- 



192 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



wood which covered the slope, that the fire might 
have nothing to feed upon. It reached the foot of 
the hill, and as it began to climb in any place, it 
was beaten down with long poles. The heat was 
suffocating, and both the Missionary and Indians 
were blackened by the smoke ; but after a severe 
struggle with the devouring element, by God's bless- 
ing on their exertions, the buildings were saved. At 
four, p. m., the fire rushed over the hill about thirty 
feet from the chapel, and passed on in a broad sheet 
of flame, devouring every thing in its progress. 

Mr. Nowers requiring medical assistance for his 
family, I took charge of Waramuri for six weeks 
after this. The broad track of the conflagration was 
perfectly black. The fire continued burning in 
many places for weeks, feeding upon the peat, of 
which the soil is partly composed, and upon the 
enormous trunks of trees which lay in every direc- 
tion. Some of these burning masses looked per- 
fectly white during the glare of the sun by day, and 
glowed with intense brightness as night came on. 
The swamps were on fire in various directions. One 
evening six conflagrations were visible in different 
parts of the horizon. The nearest of these com- 
municated with a portion of the forest, the flames 
catching the dry leaves, and mounting the trees in 
succession until their further progress was stopped 
by the river. 

While proceeding one day up the river, a crackling 
noise was heard at a distance, accompanied by a 
dense smoke. The Indians said that a savannah 



MORTALITY BY DYSENTERY. 



193 



which we were approaching was on fire, and im- 
mediately rested on their paddles. We soon saw 
the flames driving before the wind, and devouring 
the reeds and grass, while our further progress was 
prevented by the burning flakes and smoke, until 
the fire had burnt down to the edge of the water. 

The drought was severely felt in the cultivated part 
of the country, the navigable trenches of the sugar 
estates being nearly dry. The rivers, from the want 
of rain, had become salt and brackish to a great 
distance from their mouths. The heads of the little 
streamlets were sought for fresh water, and some of 
these became dry. The cassava which had been 
planted by the Indians in October, not having the 
expected rain to nourish it, did not grow. Hence 
food became scarce, and many expedients were re- 
sorted to, to supply the deficiency. The Waraus 
betook themselves to their favourite resource, the 
Eta swamps \ and subsisted there as well as they 
could. When the famine was at its height, the fruit 
of the wild cashew became ripe, and afterwards that 
of the simiri, or locust-tree. From these and others 
the Indians managed to procure a scanty subsistence, 
and might be seen emerging from the forest with 
their quakes, or baskets, full of them. Unwholesome 
food ! for using which they afterwards suffered 
greatly. 

The rain fell at length in torrents, and vegetation 
revived and flourished. But dysentery began to 
carry off many of the Waraus and others, who had 
been subsisting for months on the natural productions 

o 



194 



BEITISH GUIANA* 



of the swamps and forests. There came from the 
Eta swamps to Waramuri, canoes full of attenuated 
beings, who applied to the Missionary for medicine 
and food. A great number of them died before 
they made this application. It was painful to visit 
their settlements, and hear the repeated exclamation, 
"Wabaiya, wabaiya!" (Sick, sick!) On visiting 
the settlement where they had formerly been so 
uncivil to me, Mr. Nowers discovered that eight had 
already died out of twenty-three, and others would 
probably have perished, but for God's blessing on 
the remedies supplied. As many as 300 doses of 
medicine were administered in one month, and with 
great apparent benefit, the reluctance of the Indians 
to use it being overcome by the urgent danger. It 
was a period of much distress and misery, and were 
there no other result than the temporal benefit that 
then flow T ed from the Mission at Waramuri, all the 
exertion and expense of its establishment would still 
have been amply rewarded. 

When the sickness abated, the Mission began to 
assume a most flourishing appearance. Three hundred 
Indians attended instruction, and there were sixty- 
five children at school. 

As the benefits, both spiritual and temporal, of 
missions became apparent to the people, so the desire 
of similar establishments began to spread. Intelli- 
gence was brought to us that the Waraus in the 
Aruka were desirous of having an English missionary 
placed among them, and that their chief had even 
caused them to erect a large building to serve as a 



DISTANT INDIANS DESIRE A TEACHER. 195 

place of worship. We were preparing to visit that 
part of the country, though the distance is so great 
that the voyage would occupy about three weeks in 
going and returning. It is situated in the midst of 
the tract which lies between our territory and the 
Orinoco, and through which flow several large 
streams, one of the principal being the Waini, or 
Guainia, from which the name of the whole country 
is supposed to have been derived. Our visit was 
unavoidably prevented, and nothing was done. Still 
the desire of these benighted people to be instructed 
in the religion of Christ seems worthy of commemo- 
ration, as no missionary had been to visit them, and 
the reports conveyed by their own countrymen were 
all they had to found their desires upon. It seemed 
like the fulfilment of the words of prophecy : — 

" As soon as they hear of Me, they shall Qbey Me." 



CHAPTER XI. 



TRIALS. 

Sickness and death in the Mission family — Temporary abandonment 
of Waramnri — Dangerous passage across the sea — The Pomeroon 
Mission — Extraordinary circumstance — Panic among the Caribs — 
nourishing state of the Mission — Abandoned for a time — El health 
— Faithfulness of the Arawaks — The Bishop's visit — Waramnri and 
Pomeroon again supplied vrith teachers. 

A period of prosperity seldom endures long ; and 
missions, as well as individuals, experience the truth 
of the words of their Lord. " In the world ye shall 
have tribulation." 

Some of the facts recorded in our last chapter are 
of a mournful character, though mixed with much 
that is pleasing. The Mission at Waramnri had been 
threatened with destruction by fire, and the Indians 
who attended it had been scattered by famine, and 
had their numbers thinned by dysentery. Still, not- 
withstanding these things, the number of attendants 
increased, and the mutual attachment between the 
Missionary and his flock grew stronger daily. One 
Sabbath thirty-three canoes full of people came, 
besides those who travelled over land. Peter, the 
chief of the Caribs, with his wife America and his 
family, were baptized about this time, as the first- 



SICKNESS A29D DEATH IX THE MISSION FAMILY. 197 



fruits of the Gospel in that quarter, after having 
been under instruction nearly three years. 

But a dark cloud was soon to pass over this 
promising Mission, and a famine, " not of bread, nor 
a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the 
Lord." Sickness had for some time prevailed in the 
family of the Missionary, and soon increased so as to 
disable him from duty altogether. 

The object of our missionary records is not to 
excite sympathy on behalf of missionaries, but to 
give a true account of the progress of the Gospel 
among the heathen. Yet this and subsequent events 
must be briefly recorded, as they had an important 
influence, causing the temporary abandonmeut of 
Waramuri, and soon after of the Mission in the 
Pomeroon also. 

In August, 1846, Mr. Nowers's youngest child 
died, after a lingering illness of some months. The 
father, having no materials of which to construct a 
coffin, was obliged to take the foot-boards of the 
Mission bateau. 1 ^Yhile burying this child, the life 
of his second son was despaired of. This was 
followed by a violent illness which attacked both 
parents, and compelled their removal to the Mission 
in Pomeroon, where the family remained in a lan- 
guishing state till the end of the year. Mr. JSfowers 
partially recovered ; but his complaint rendered him 
unable to bear the climate, and as the health of his 

1 The bateau is shaped somewhat. like an Indian canoe, hut built, 
instead of being hollowed from a single tree. Like the canoe, it has 
no keel. 



198 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



family did not improve, he was compelled to resign 
his mission. After erecting a wooden slab bearing 
a simple inscription at the head of the grave of the 
departed infant, and surrounding it with a rail, an 
affectionate leave was taken of the people, and the 
Mission quitted on the 21st of December, to the 
great grief of all. When we were leaving, a young 
Carib presented himself with his paddle in his hand, 
and his hammock over his shoulder, and offered his 
services as a paddler. On being told that our crew 
was complete, he still persisted in requesting a 
passage, which was complied with. 

The weather was unsettled and stormy at that 
season. In passing over the sea, we encountered 
three furious squalls, which continued for an horn- 
and a half. We were unable to bring the boat 
round, as she would have instantly filled if exposed 
broadside to the waves, which broke over her bows 
in rapid succession. Our tent was cut away, and 
Mr. Mowers and an Indian engaged during the whole 
time in baling out the water with a bucket and a 
large calabash. The shore was near, but unsafe ; 
and we were unable to see it from the rain and spray 
of the sea. While the steersman was striving to 
keep her head to the wind, his paddle broke short ; 
but we fortunately had a spare one on board, which 
was immediately handed to him. 

When the weather cleared, we found that, not- 
withstanding our crew had strained every nerve, we 
were still in the same spot in which the first squall 
had met us. We were now thankful to God for our 



POMEROON MISSION. 



199 



additional hand, and it was also a matter of satis- 
faction to us during the period of danger that several 
of our Arawak crew were men of prayer, whose 
devotions we had overheard in secret the night 
before. When the squall was most severe, one of 
them said, " w'aforrawa," (we are killed,) but the 
others all laboured in silence. 

On reaching the mouth of the Pomeroon, we 
found that a schooner had been caught by the same 
storm, and driven across the mud flat, nearly into 
the forest, notwithstanding she had dropped her 
anchor. The master said he hoped to get off next 
tide, which happened accordingly. Another schooner, 
belonging to the same person, was lost in her next 
voyage, all on board being drowned except two 
persons. In this vessel were lost most of Mr. 
Nowers's goods, which had been removed from 
Waramuri. He was soon after compelled to depart 
for England. The Indians of both Missions, by 
whom he was exceedingly beloved, inquired for a 
long time whether " Noa " would not soon come 
again. Waramuri Mission remained vacant for a 
long time after his departure. 

We must now relate the course of events at the 
Mission in Pomeroon. As both the tribes there had 
a better stock of provisions, they had suffered less 
during the famine than the Waraus, and took the 
precaution of replanting their fields as soon as they 
saw "the sun kill " the first crop. But depredations 
were frequently committed by parties who, having 
been dupes of the Cuyuni imposture, had neglected 



200 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



their own fields, and were now destitute of provisions 
on their return. A report reached us that two 
Wacawoios had been killed by Caribs, who had 
detected them in the act of robbing their fields, in 
a distant part of the country. This and other cir- 
cumstances, whether true or not, seemed to threaten 
a feud. The dysentery had also visited the Indians 
in Pomeroon, but was chiefly fatal when it attacked 
children, many of whom died, but few adults. 

In March 1847, an occurrence took place which it 
has been thought proper to introduce, as it exhibits 
a new feature in Indian life. The Mission was, as 
usual, in a state of the greatest tranquillity, when 
Commodore, the Caribi chief, came thither to reside, 
with his son and family, for protection. He had 
built a long house in front of our Caribi village for 
the accommodation of himself and family on the 
Sabbath, and planted a tall flag-staff before it as a 
symbol of his rank ; but during the week he usually 
lived at his settlement in the forest. This latter he 
now quitted, as he said, in consequence of having 
discovered that a strong party of Wacawoios, painted 
and equipped for war, were lurking near it. I 
thought but little of the circumstance, as the Indians 
generally had been in a very unsettled state ever 
since the unhappy migration to Cuyuni. The family 
had with them a young man, who had taken to wife 
a heathen daughter of the old chief. He was a 
stranger from a distant part, and was noted for never 
moving from the house without a short-barrelled gun 
in his hand. 



EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE. 



201 



After the services of the following Sabbath were 
concluded, we were disturbed about nine in the 
evening by a loud outcry proceeding from the Caribi 
portion of the village. While we were doubting as 
to the cause, Commodore's son and another young 
man came in a hurried manner to summon me, 
bearing torches and cutlasses in their hands. They 
declared that the Wacawoios were upon them, and 
had struck down the young stranger. Proceeding 
to the spot, I found the young man writhing in his 
hammock, apparently in great pain from a blow on 
his thigh. The women were crying around him in 
a frantic manner, and the whole village was in an 
uproar, every man getting his weapons to defend 
himself and family. With great difficulty I learned 
that the young man, who had gone some little 
distance from the houses, had seen a AVacawoio ap- 
proaching behind him from the forest, and had 
suddenly turned and sprung upon him, throwing his 
arms around him, but had been hurled to the ground 
by the superior strength of his enemy, and received 
a random blow as he fell, the Wacawoio escaping 
into the forest, as the cry for assistance was raised 
and answered. 

Xothing could exceed the panic of the women and 
children, and the men were all asking what they 
should do. It seemed best to tell them to assemble 
outside the chiefs long house, while the women and 
children should keep inside. This they did, but the 
confusion was great, the house being quite full, 
and some of the females crying, others laughing, 



202 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



and many talking with great vehemence at the same 
time. 

At this moment, the wife of the young man ran 
into the midst of us, eiying out that a man was 
concealed behind a bush near the house. Imme- 
diately every gun was pointed in that direction, and 
some of the Caribs began to spread themselves 
around, gliding close to the ground, with their pieces 
cocked and advanced, ready to be discharged at the 
slightest motion. The night was very dark, but 
many torches were blazing around, and the young 
woman before mentioned rushed wildly forward with 
the men, whirling a blazing firebrand to give them 
additional light. 

A low cry was now heard close at hand, which 
appeared to be answered from a distance. The 
Caribs exclaimed, " Wacawoio," and became exas- 
perated. I now expected that something serious 
would occur, and desired young Commodore to tell 
them all to stop and listen. This arrested them, 
each man remaining motionless, and he then inter- 
preted to them, that " even if they should kill a 
Wacawoio, they would make bad worse, and the 
blood feud would never end. If enemies were there 
at all, they were probably few, and unprovided with 
fire-arms, and the Post-holder should be instantly 
sent for, who when he came would settle the matter 
in a peaceable and Christian manner." 

The messengers were accordingly sent, and the 
Caribs satisfied themselves with posting guards out- 
side the house till morning. 



PAXIC AMONG THE CARIBS. 



203 



I then went to see the state of the Arawaks, one 
of the Caribs running after me with a torch, (which 
I had forgotten,) lest I should have been shot by 
mistake in the dark. Each Arawak had his gun 
prepared, having heard the sound in the forest, which 
they said was the voice of men. No woman went 
to the water that night unless attended by her 
husband, who earned his cutlass and a blazing fire- 
brand. Many tales were afloat to account for 
an attack of the Wacawoios, which seemed to 
have been expected for some time before. Most 
of our people thought that they were a party from 
Cuyuni. 

The next morning young Commodore with a party 
of his men scoured the forest in hopes of discovering 
the Wacawoios, and entering into a parley. They 
returned without success, having only found a small 
basket, which they said was of Wacawoio manu- 
facture. 

On the second morning the Post -holder arrived 
from his house at the mouth of the Pomeroon, 
having travelled all night. "We went together to- 
wards the head of the river. As we were proceeding 
on the following morning up the beautiful windings 
of the stream, we heard a low whoop from the high 
bank above us. This proceeded from France, Com- 
modore's brother, who had quitted his settlement, 
and with his two wives and children was going to 
seek shelter among his heathen relatives. He said 
that a woman had seen two Wacawoios in a field not 
far distant, and had been pursued by them towards 



204 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



her house. All the people in that part were in a 
great panic, and though much allowance was to be 
made for excitement and exaggeration, it seemed 
certain that there was a strong party lurking in the 
forests with no good intentions. 

Mr. Mc Clint ock knowing an old Carib, named 
Parfrete, who was in close alhance with the Waca- 
woios, employed him to find out the truth, and 
negotiate with them. Parfrete had with him a man 
of that tribe, who was nearly blind from severe 
ophthalmia. He seemed to know something of the 
intentions of his countrymen, but was unwilling to 
divulge them. 

It afterwards appeared, that the father of the 
young Carib who had been assaulted, had two years 
before been assassinated before his eyes, and that he, 
having discharged an arrow at the men who killed 
him, had been marked out to be put to death. 
Whether he considered himself as bound by their 
fearful custom to be the avenger of blood, we know 
not, but it seemed evident from his wild manner, 
that his mind was affected by the circumstances in 
which he was placed. His life having been at- 
tempted in the Essequibo, where he resided, he fled 
to Pomeroon, and this led to the events here related. 
I did not consider his presence desirable at the 
Mission, and recommended him to seek employment 
at the coast on one of the sugar estates, whither his 
enemies would not be able to follow him with any 
prospect of success in their murderous design. 

The Mission again became quiet as before. Never 



FLOURISHING STATE OF THE MISSION. 205 

had its buildings appeared so neat ; and all the paths 
which led to the different parts of the village were 
kept in order, and bordered with lilies, whose large 
red flowers contrasted beautifully with their dark 
green leaves. 

Many Arawaks were about this time drawn from 
the recesses of the Akawini. They had been careless 
until about this period, when they were persuaded 
to join us by some Christians of their own tribe. 
From their little intercourse with civilized persons, 
some of them were totally unacquainted with English • 
and for their use and that of others of their tribe 
in a similar condition, I translated, and caused to be 
printed, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Command- 
ments. These proved very useful. The number of 
catechumens among the Caribs also increased, so that 
it became necessaiy to instruct the tribes separately 
on alternate evenings throughout the week. 

At this time the sad news of the famine in Ireland, 
and in the Highlands of Scotland, reached us. 
Collections were made all over the colony for the 
relief of the sufferers. The subject was laid before 
the Indians at the Mission, and they at once offered 
to contribute cassava and other provisions, for the 
relief of the hungry people. When told that they 
would spoil in their passage over the wide sea, they 
said that they had little money, as the drought of 
the preceding year had reduced them to penury, 
and their clothes were nearly worn out, their young 
men being at that time absent working for money to 
buy more. This was the truth, as I knew. 



206 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Cornelius was present, and seeing how matters 
stood, he went quietly away. He had just returned 
from the sugar estates, bringing with him about ten 
dollars, the produce of his industry, with which he 
was about to proceed to Georgetown to purchase 
clothes for his family. This sum he brought, and 
laid before me. Then taking one dollar, he said, " I 
give this for myself, and this," said he, adding 
another, "for my wife and eldest daughter." Then 
turning to his countrymen, he continued, (C Friends, 
you have little money, I will lend you from this till 
it is gone, and repay me when you are able." One 
after another availed themselves of the offer ; others 
rummaged up a little more ; some poor old widows 
brought their " half -bits," (two-pence) and fifty-two 
dollars were sent that week from Pomeroon. Half 
of that sum was collected among the negroes and 
other inhabitants of the lower district of the river. I 
may add here, that though these Indians were very 
poor indeed, with respect to money, yet they re- 
gularly contributed to the monthly offertory, and 
did all they could to keep the Mission buildings in 
repair. 

The Mission at TVaramuri was still lying desolate, 
and that of the Pomeroon was soon to share its 
fate. I became at this period so weak as to be 
unable to continue my duties. A temporary change 
of air produced some benefit, but a relapse en- 
sued immediately on my return, and I was com- 
pelled to quit the river as a residence. The scene 
that ensued on parting with the people will never be 



THE BISHOP'S VISIT. 



207 



forgotten by us, but being in a great measure of a 
personal nature, it need not be described. 

Several months elapsed ere I could regain strength 
sufficient to visit the Mission. During this period 
many of the people came weekly to spend the 
Sabbath with me on the coast. On these occasions 
they would lament the cessation of religious services 
in their own little chapel, and say in their peculiar 
idiom, "Strength is now wanting to our prayers.' 1 
At length I was enabled to pay a monthly visit of 
several days, to inspect the school, instruct the cate- 
chumens, and perform Divine Service. 

"While left to themselves during this trying period, 
many of our converts were ready to do all they 
could. Cornelius was always willing to visit the 
Indians of his tribe in more distant parts, and 
actually brought several persons to the Mission. 
Thomas, in the meantime, kept the school together, 
instructing the children as well as he was able. 
Others exerted themselves in various ways, but some 
fell into sin. 

In October 1848, the Bishop again visited the 
Mission, for the third time. The following is an 
extract from the account of this visit : — 

" On the morning of the 2d November, the Bishop 
inspected the Indian school. The English Testa- 
ment class, numbering forty of both sexes, gratified 
his lordship by an improvement in their reading 
since his last visit, notwithstanding the length of 
time during which the sickness and absence of the 
Missionary had thrown them on their own resources. 



208 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



♦ 

Divine service was next performed in the chapel, at 
the junction of the rivers Pomeroon and Arapiaco, 
and attended by about 180. Many more would 
have been present, had it not been necessary to go 
by water. The Holy Communion was administered 
to forty recipients. In his address to the people, the 
Bishop expressed his heartfelt satisfaction at seeing 
them so numerous, notwithstanding their disadvan- 
tages, and evidencing a disposition of such steady 
regard to the Gospel which they had received. 

"While regretting the absence of the Caribs on 
this occasion, it was still a matter of rejoicing that 
the number of the Arawaks alone about equalled that 
of the two tribes formerly assembled together. 

" Returning to the Hill, the Bishop, after inspecting 
the habitations of the people, attended evening 
school, in which the primary truths of Christianity 
are taught in their own tongue. Eighty-five read 
their little Indian books, and joined with much 
apparent devotion in the singing and prayers. 
There was also present a head-man with six of his 
poeple, from Waramuri, to whom the Bishop signified 
his hope of being able to supply that vacant Mission 
with a teacher in the beginning of 1849. This gave 
much satisfaction." 

This hope was fulfilled soon after by the appoint- 
ment of Mr. Currie to Waramuri. That Mission had 
acquired a bad character for unhealthiness, and the 
Bishop had been previously unable to provide a duly 
qualified teacher. 

In visiting Waramuri, to take the bateau, and 



FRESH TEACHERS APPOINTED. 209 



make arrangements for Mr. Currie's reception, I 
found that the forest had already grown np again, so 
that only the tops of the bnildings were visible from 
the river, above the young trees. Some of the boards 
of the flooring of the verandah of the house had been 
stolen by Venezuelan traders, and the wood-ants had 
commenced operations in the chapel, but the damage 
could be easily repaired. 

One circumstance deserves notice. The Indians 
in this part, though so long deserted, as they must 
have thought, had given proof of undiminished love 
for their Mission, by cutting a pathway through the 
young trees from the landing-place to the Mission 
house and Chapel, as w T ide as a carriage-road, having 
heard that a teacher was coming to them. It was 
cheering to see, amid so many disheartening circum- 
stances, that the sickness of the Missionaries alone 
had kept back the Missions. 

After this visit I found it necessary to return 
to England. Since then, we have received very 
satisfactory accounts from Mr. Currie, who laboured 
successfully there. 

Mr. Landroy was sent to take charge of the Pome- 
roon Mission, but was prevented from going thither 
for nearly ten months. His reports have since been 
very encouraging. 

In the Lower District of the Pomeroon, a chapel 
has been erected on the small estate called Hackney, 
but want of funds and general depression prevented 
its being finished off so neatly as we could wash, 
p 



210 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Divine Service has, however, been performed there 
for two years past. 

The foregoing is a brief account of a few of the 
leading incidents of the Missionary labour of different 
individuals, in one of the wildest pails of Guiana : 
among people of various languages, who are not de- 
void of interest, though thinly scattered amidst dense 
forests and almost inaccessible swamps. May the 
Gospel of our Lord Jesus, thus planted, be watered 
from on high, and bear fruit among them, even to 
the end ! 

" Return, we beseech thee : God of Hosts, look 
down from heaven, and behold, and visit this Vine ! " 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE ARUABISI COAST. 

Situation of the Ituribisi — Its Inhabitants — Efforts of the Rector of 
St. John's for their conversion — Success — Account of the Mission 
at his residence — The Capoue, Quacabuca, and Tapacuma lakes — 
Account of the Indians residing in that neighbourhood. 

The broad estuary forming the mouth of the River 
Essequibo contains many islands, which divide it into 
various channels, some of which are wide, but diffi- 
cult to navigate, on account of the shoals of mud and 
sand. These numerous islands, though low, have a 
picturesque appearance, being covered with trees. 
Some of them are several miles in length, and those 
nearest the sea have been highly cultivated, especially 
Leguan and Wakenaam. 

To the westward of these last is Tiger Island, so 
called from the ancient name Aruabisi, by which that 
part of the coast was known. The Arawaks so named 
it from their word " Arua," or the jaguar, as great 
numbers of those animals infested that part of the 
country. 

A small stream, on the main land, enters the chan- 
nel which divides it from Tiger Island. This stream 
flows from a beautiful lake or savannah, called Ituri- 
bisi, from the Arawak word " Ituri," which is the 



212 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



name of the red howling -monkey, or baboon, as it is 
erroneously called. 

The shores of the lake are inhabited by Arawak 
Indians, who are intimately connected with those of 
the Pomeroon by friendship and matrimonial alli- 
ances. There are paths leading from their various 
settlements to the Tapacuma and Arapiaco. 

Many of the Indians inhabiting the Ituribisi have 
been from time to time brought over from heathenism 
to Christianity by the labours of the Eev. W, Austin, 
Rector of St. John's, and Rural Dean of Essequibo. 
He commenced the work of instructing them about 
the time of the establishment of the Mission in Pome- 
roon in 1840. 

Their nearest settlements are within a few hours' 
walk of the rectory, and those Indians who were 
anxious to be taught soon became frequent and wel- 
come visitors there, and attendants at the parish 
church. After a time they were induced to put up 
small cottages for their own accommodation on the 
Sabbath. These were built on the sand-reef close to 
the dwelling of their minister, some of them being- 
very neatly constructed of boards, with doors and 
window shutters, the roof alone thatched. The situa- 
tion is pleasant, being between the public road and 
the shore, with a small island of recent formation 
lying directly in front. At this place they have 
attended as regularly as their brethren at the missions 
in the interior ; being thus under the supervision of 
their pastor, and benefited by his instructions and 
protection, of which last the Indians stand in need 



SUCCESS OF MR. ACSTIX. 



213 



among the black and coloured population, with the 
Hindoos and Portuguese, who inhabit the coast. 

The care of an extensive parish, many miles in 
length, with five or six places of worship, and con- 
taining a population of more than 5,000 souls, could 
leave but little time for missionary labour. Yet the 
work went steadily on, and the number of Indian 
converts gradually increased. Among the people of 
Ituribisi, during the first eight years there were 126 
baptized, of whom thirty couples were also married. 

The two daughters of Mr. Austin attended to the 
instruction of the Indian children, and the zeal and 
perseverance of these young ladies in the daily task 
of teaching the Arawak girls deserve great commen- 
dation. They also acquired a considerable knowledge 
of the Indian language, which is almost indispensable 
to the production of real and lasting good among 
them. 

A premising field of labour has thus been opened* 
The Indians in the Ituribisi and its neighbourhood 
are all of one tribe; their number in 1844 was 133 ; 
in 1848 there were 218, being an increase of 79 ; 
and they were yearly becoming more numerous. 
This consideration renders the station an important 
one. It has not been on the same footing as the 
other Missions, not being supported by any society, 
but continued by the unassisted exertions of its 
founder and his family. The good which has been 
done there is not small, and should any unforeseen 
circumstance compel the abandonment of the mission 
field in Pomeroon, many of our converts might be 



214 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



brought from thence to that spot, which would thus 
become the most important Arawak Mission in 
Guiana. 

The work of conversion of the Indians has also 
been begun in other parts of the coast of Essequibo, 
especially at Capoue and in the adjacent district. 

The Capoue is a small lake, about ten miles from 
the Ituribisi, and three or four miles from the sea, 
into which it discharges its superabundant waters 
by a small stream. Its banks are inhabited by 
about sixty -five Arawaks, who, living so close to the 
plantations, are, generally speaking, of very immoral 
habits. A few also live at the Quacabuca, a little 
lake in its neighbourhood. From these lakes there 
is an Indian path leading to a tributary of the 
Pomeroon. 

Another lake, several miles in circumference, and 
of great beauty, lies to the westward of these, and 
completes the chain. It is called the Tapacuma. 
A small river of the same name flows from it in an 
inland direction till it meets the Pomeroon. In 
the surrounding forests the Indians are numerous. 

In the early state of the Pomeroon Mission, its 
greatest opponents were found among the people in 
this quarter. Some of their sorcerers distinguished 
themselves by the vehemence of their denunciations, 
and though their party grew weak, the infatuation 
of some of their votaries was undiminished, as 
many ridiculous circumstances proved. One of 
them meeting a friend on the river, and being asked 
if he had not been very ill lately, replied, " Yes, my 



OPPOSITION OF THE IXDIAXS. 



215 



friend, I went past the chapel one Sunday in the 
day time, while all the people were at their incanta- 
tions inside ; some of them affected me, for soon 
afterwards I was attacked with dysentery. I shall in 
future pass it by night." Such were the absurdities 
which the sorcerers taught the people to believe, 
and so great the influence exercised by them. 

They also encouraged drunken feasts in opposition 
to the sobriety inculcated by the religion of Jesus, 
and this was a stronghold to them. One of them 
being at a paiwari drinking, and waxing valiant as 
he became irrational, informed his adherents of his 
intention of throwing me into the river. When the 
effects of the liquor had worn off, however, he be- 
came rather ashamed of his public announcement, 
and carefully avoided a meeting. 

As these people were doing much harm to the 
cause of Christ, I soon after visited the settlement 
of our chief opponent, hoping to bring him to a 
better mind. He was not to be found, however, but 
one of his sons received me kindly, and I hoped 
that good would result from the interview to him- 
self and family. 

From this settlement we proceeded over land 
towards the Capoue lake, along the path before 
mentioned. This led us from the dense forest 
across a tract of white sand, which is studded all 
over with clumps of trees, shorter and smaller than 
those of the Mora forest. This kind of bush is 
called " muri " by the Indians, and has a beautiful 
appearance, looking as if it had been laid out and 



216 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



planted by the hand of man. Wild animals ran 
across the sand from one shelter to another, being 
disturbed at our approach. Every creature that 
passes leaves a track on the sand, and my guide 
pointed out the recent footprints of a tapir and its 
young one across our path. An attack of fever, 
brought on by the heat of the sun, the rays of which 
are powerfully reflected from the sand, compelled 
me to return to a settlement of friendly Indians 
without accomplishing our object. A second journey 
brought us to the lake, where the people were 
assembled, and entreated to attend the ministry of 
a clergyman at the negro districts on the coast in 
their neighbourhood. 

After a considerable lapse of time, I was again 
enabled to visit the Capoue. On our way we met 
the son of the old sorcerer, before mentioned, who 
said that he had been attending Divine Service on 
the coast with his wife and children. This was good 
news. On arriving at the lake we found a sick 
man and his family, who told me that all the other 
people had gone to Church the day before. 

In the evening, just before sunset, we saw them 
returning along the shores of the lake. On meeting 
and congratulating them on the happy change, they 
said that two of their number had been that morn- 
ing baptized and married by the Rev. J. F. Bourne, 
who had visited them and induced them to attend 
his ministry. 

On going to see the newly-married couple, I found 
that the bride was well known to me. They ex- 



ABAWAKS OF CAPOUE. 



217 



pressed themselves very becomingly, and seemed to 
have a due feeling of the solemn vows they had 
taken. When we were about to depart, the remnant 
of a wedding-cake was produced, (which had been 
made for them by some civilized friend,) and we 
were invited to partake of it. A wedding-cake in 
an Indian hut, and no drunken feast ! the circum- 
stance was most striking among the people at 
Capoue. 

Mr. Bourne having induced some of these people 
to attend his ministry regularly, set apart a few 
seats in the chapel of St. Saviour for their accommo- 
dation, which they have since occupied. This 
arrangement was continued by the Rev. H. Hunter, 
who succeeded to the charge of the district, and it 
was most pleasing to see them take their places in 
front of the chancel, surrounded by a large congre- 
gation of black people. 

About one half of the Arawaks of Capoue and 
its neighbourhood, in course of time, embraced 
the Gospel and were baptized \ but the others 
remained obstinate in heathenism. The temptations 
to which all are exposed, are much greater on the 
coast than in the interior of the country, from the 
facility with which ardent spirits may be obtained, 
and the evil examples which abound among profes- 
sing Christians. 

It will be seen, that on the coast of Essequibo, 
the parochial clergy have ably cooperated with the 
Missions in the interior, and their labours have been 
blessed with fruit accordingly. They are, at present, 



218 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



little able to extend their labours among the 
Aborigines, on account of the great number of 
Hindoo and other immigrants, which, as has been 
before observed, have been added to the former 
negro population, and who require far more atten- 
tion than can be bestowed upon them. 7 

" Who is sufficient for these things 1 " 

i To complete the view of the Indian Missions in the colony of 
Essecjuibo, it is necessary to add here, that there are one or two small 
stations, supported by different denominations, on the western hank of 
the Essequibo, between Bartica and the Ituribisi, while the Romanists 
have had a Mission, supported by Government, in the Moruca, among 
the refugees from Venezuela, since the year 1837. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE MAHAICOXI MISSION. 

Situation of the Mahaiconi — The Bishop's visit to the Mahaica, 
and its result — Visit to the Mahaiconi — Indian Assembly, and 
Maqnarri Dance — Establishment of the Mission — Its subsequent 
history. 

The former Missions of -which an account has 
been given, are all situated near the western 
boundary, and in the colony of Essequibo. That 
which is the subject of the present chapter, lies to 
the eastward of the Deinerara, between that river 
and the Berbice. 

Between those large streams, three smaller ones 
enter the sea ; the Mahaica, the Mahaiconi, and the 
Abari. The upper parts of these are inhabited by 
Indians, chiefly of the Arawak nation, with a few 
Waraus. 

The establishment of Missions in other parts of 
the country had been attended with much difficulty, 
from the unwillingness of the people to listen to a 
religion which was new to them. In the present 
instance, however, the first step was taken by the 
Arawak Indians ; who, having heard of the Missions 
established in other parts, became desirous of having 
a Christian teacher placed among themselves. This 



220 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



was a great event, and one which marked strongly 
the change of feeling that was gradually taking 
place among their tribe. 

The wishes of the Indians were made known 
through the Post-holder of that district, Mr. R. 
Hancock. The Bishop having been informed of the 
circumstance, immediately determined to visit them, 
that he might become better acquainted with their 
condition, confirm their desires, and select a situa- 
tion for a Mission, if the establishment of one 
should seem desirable. 

On Wednesday, the 17th of April, 1844, the 
Bishop left Georgetown. I had the happiness of 
accompanying him on this interesting occasion. 
We reached Mahaica on the following day, and were 
there met by Mr. Hancock, who had provided a 
bateau with six negro paddlers, in which we em- 
barked. Proceeding up the Mahaica, the party 
slept that night at the mouth of a small stream, 
called the Lama, suspending their hammocks 
between the trees. This, in the present instance, 
was attended with little inconvenience, the night 
being serene and calm. 

The next day we went many miles without meet- 
ing a single Indian. At length, a party of thirteen 
were found at a landing-place. They informed the 
Bishop, that no Indians had assembled to meet him, 
as had been anticipated. There were but forty-one 
residing on the Mahaica and its tributaries, most of 
whom inhabited the Laluni, which is connected with 
the Demerara by an Indian path of about three 



VISIT TO THE MAHAICONI. 



221 



hours' walk. A Mission on the Demerara would be 
sufficiently near them, and the others could easily 
travel overland to the Mahaiconi, one day's journey 
to the eastward. On this being proposed to them, 
they readily assented, and promised to meet the 
Bishop there on the following Tuesday. 

The Mahaica being thus ineligible, the party lost 
no time in returning. The paddlers were rested for 
some hours at a landing-place on the banks of the 
stream. Here there were one or two small sheds, 
put up by the Indians for shelter when benighted in 
rainy weather, It being dark when we again started, 
the negroes who were with us set fire to the thatch, 
thus destroying the shelter of which they had 
partaken, that they might enjoy the spectacle 
of a few minutes' blaze. As this was an act 
of wanton mischief, they were severely and justly 
rebuked. 

The Mahaica ferry was reached about five the 
following morning ; the musquitoes having attacked 
us in swarms the whole night. 

Having attended Divine Service in the chapel of 
St. Albans, Berbice, on the Sabbath, we again 
embarked on Monday, proceeding up the Mahaiconi 
in a bateau with four negro rowers. We were 
accompanied by the Post-holder, as before, and by a 
Mr. De Byck. A large canoe was in attendance, 
containing ten Arawaks, who had descended the 
river to accompany the Bishop. The weather was 
extremely fine, and the river scenery was rendered 
still more pleasant by the flocks of parrots and 



222 BRITISH GUIANA. 

macaws, which were seated on the branches of the 
trees on both sides of the stream. 

The Mahaiconi is inhabited both by Waraus and 
Arawaks. Haying rested for several honrs in the 
afternoon, the party reached the first Warau settle- 
ment, called Mahoni, about half-past three on the 
following morning. Of that tribe about forty-five 
were residing in the neighbourhood, most of whom 
assembled at daybreak to learn the object of our 
visit. The children of the party were lively and 
interesting, but the adults appeared to be very dull 
and stupid, with the single exception of their chief, 
Simon. He, on the contrary, was very intelligent, 
and as he understood English, the Bishop addressed 
the people through him. He listened with attention, 
and promised to use his influence with them. 

About nine in the morning we again set forward. 
After rowing some miles, the party landed and pro- 
ceeded on foot through the forest, leaving the bateau 
in charge of the negro crew, the principal man of 
whom was named Bacchus. 1 

About noon we got clear of the forest, and 
entered on a large plain. At a distance appeared 
an Indian Tillage, which was the principal settle- 

1 The names of the gods and goddesses, heroes and tyrants of 
classic antiquity, were given to the negroes in their days of heathenism 
and slavery, and are still retained. One of our paddlers on the 
Mahaica was named Apollo. I have heen in a small canoe with 
Jupiter and Vulcan. The African names of Quashi, Quaco, Cudjo, 
Quasiba, Amha, Adjuba, and many others, are also retained ; the whole 
being mingled with those of the great men of modern times. Tsegro 
names sometimes present strange combinations — Adonis Bob, Chipido 
Toby, and Castlereagh Jack, are specimens. 



INDIAN ASSEMBLY. 



223 



nient of the Arawaks. As we drew nearer, the 
singular and well-remembered shonts of the assem- 
bled Indians told that they were engaged in a grand 
Maquarri dance, similar to that which I had formerly 
witnessed in the Koraia, and of which a description 
has been given. 

There were about 200 persons present. Most of 
the men were dancing, having their faces painted 
red in grotesque patterns, and their heads adorned, 
some with coronals of feathers, and others with the 
white down of birds. Their attire and ornaments 
were of the most showy and fantastic description. 
The females were quietly looking on, being seated on 
the ground under a large house, where was placed a 
canoe of paiwari. 

There was a wild beauty in the whole scene, but 
nothing could have shown their ignorance of the 
doctrines of the Gospel more strongly, than their 
preparing for a drunken festival to honour the visit 
of a Christian Bishop. They were, as yet, quite 
sober; the entertainment having but just com- 
menced. If they could have known sooner of the 
Bishop's intention to visit them, and thus have had 
longer time for preparation, two canoes of paiwari 
would have been provided instead of one. 

Their chief Swey was sick, and confined to his 
hammock. While the Bishop went to see him, and 
inspect the village, I asked the dancers to desist, 
which they did immediately, and assembled in a 
large house, where the men seated themselves in 
rows all round, the women and children standing 



224 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



behind them. Their whips, which partake of a 
sacred character in their ideas, were carefully laid in 
a heap on a board in the centre of the house, and 
they waited in silence the address of the Bishop. 

It set before them their benighted condition, and 
the blessings of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
After the object of our visit had been stated and ex- 
plained to them, they were kindly reminded of the 
evil consequences which sometimes followed their 
feasts, and of some instances of murder and suicide 
which had lately happened among them, the effects 
of intoxication. As the address of the Bishop was 
in English, few of them had more than a very 
general idea of its object ; but on its being repeated in 
their own tongue, they acknowledged its truth, — 
declared that they " knew nothing," and asked with 
apparent eagerness when the promised teacher would 
be placed among them. An appropriate psalm 
having been sung, they all knelt with deep reverence, 
while the Bishop solemnly besought the blessing of 
the Great Head of the Church upon the work begun 
for the glory of his holy name. 

After the conference had ended, an animated con 
versation followed among the Indians. I had brought 
with me an Indian youth from Pomeroon, and there 
was also a man present from Ituribisi. These 
persons were each surrounded by a circle of atten- 
tive listeners, to whom they gave an account of 
the respective Mission Stations to which they be- 
longed. 

Swey, the sick chief, was much affected when the 



ESTABLISHMENT. 



225 



Bishop knelt at the side of his hammock, and prayed 
for his recovery. He said that he was " grieved at 
being sick/' which would prevent his taking part in 
the work that was before them. 

One object of the expedition having, by Gods 
blessing, been thus far accomplished, the Bishop 
proceeded to select a site for a future rustic chapel, 
and residence for a teacher, and fixed upon a very 
pleasant spot on a large plain, near a small stream 
of excellent water. 

As it was near night, and the forest path would 
be difficult and dangerous, the Bishop, myself, and 
three Indians embarked in a canoe, so small and 
crank that the whole party were obliged to sit on 
small pieces of wood laid in the bottom. In this 
manner we proceeded, groping our way, as it were, 
in the increasing darkness, for nearly two hours, 
when we reached a wider stream. The moonlight 
soon discovered to us the bateau, near which 
Bacchus had kindled a fire, and provided an evening 
meal, of which we were all in great need. At three 
the nexi morning the party left Mahoni, descended 
the river, and arrived the next evening at sunset at 
the Mahaiconi ferry. 

Mr. Berry was soon after sent to commence the 
Mission. Divine Service was first performed on the 
20th of August, 142 Indians being present, who 
behaved with great reverence and attention. On 
this occasion the old chief signified to the Post- 
holder and his assembled people, that his infirmities 
made him desirous of resigning his authority to his 

Q 



226 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



son, John Andrew, an intelligent and steady young 
man. This met the approval of all the Indians 
present, and the young man proceeded to Georgetown 
with the Post-holder, for the purpose of being con- 
firmed in his office by the Governor. 

In the course of the following year, the infant 
Mission was placed under the superintendence of the 
Eev. J. F. Bourne, who had been removed from the 
neighbourhood of Capoue, on the coast of Essequibo, 
to the charge of the Enmore chapel and district, a 
few miles to the westward of the Mahaica. He was 
enabled to visit the Mission at intervals of three or 
four months. These visits were valued by the 
Indians, who have been in consequence much 
attached to him. 

Mr. Berry was succeeded in the office of Catechist 
by Mr. S. Manning, in June 1846. Mr. Manning 
was compelled to leave in the early part, of 1848, by 
severe illness. The late Governor of the colony (the 
present Sir Henry Light,) having visited the Mission 
with a party of gentlemen, found him extremely ill 
with dysentery. The Governor, on his return, told 
the Bishop of his illness, who at once wrote to 
Mr. Bourne, to inform him of the circumstance. 
Mr. Bourne started the next morning for the Mahai- 
coni, and finding Mr. Manning somewhat better, 
brought him to his house at Enmore. It was not 
thought advisable for him to return to the Mission, 
which consequently lay vacant. 

This was the period of trial to our Missions 
already alluded to. At the Quarterly meeting of 



ITS SUBSEQUENT HISTORY. 



227 



the District Society at Georgetown, in April, the 
Secretary had to report the melancholy fact, that all 
our stations were in a state of temporary abandon- 
ment, on account of the sickness of the Missionaries. 
There was not any person who could at that time 
have been sent to take charge of them. The natives 
of the country are best fitted in constitution to 
stand the climate, but there was no college nor 
training institution there to which we could look for 
men to supply the need that was then so severely 
felt. 

The Indians at Mahaiconi, as well as at the other 
stations, regretted the want of a teacher. Some 
of them came soon after to Mr. Bourne, and said 
that they should like to have Mr. De Ryck stationed 
among them if the Bishop approved of him. 
Mr. Bourne having made suitable inquiries, recom- 
mended him, and he was appointed to the vacant 
Mission. 

A few months after, the Bishop and Mr. Bourne 
visited the Mahaiconi, and were able to make the 
following report : — " Mr. De Ryck has made great 
improvements since he has been appointed as Cate- 
chist to the Mission. He has known many of the 
Indians from boyhood ■ and has had constant inter- 
course with them. They seem to respect and obey him, 
and as he is attached to the locality, and not young, 
I hope he will feel an interest in gathering them 
round him, and improving them in every way. 
They have already built upwards of thirty houses on 
the school-house savannah. There are upwards of 



228 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



200 Indians residing within sound of the carronade,i 
and more are constantly adding themselves to the 
number." Many of these Arawaks, and among them 
John Andrew, their chief, and Daniel the interpreter, 
had been baptized some time before, and on this 
occasion ten other adults were baptized, and two 
couples married. The Mission has since gone on 
steadily, and will, we trust, extend its beneficial in- 
fluences far and wide, by the blessing of Him from 
whom alone can be expected a harvest of souls, — 
who can bless the humblest means, and without 
whom a Paul may plant, and an Apollos water, in 
vain. 

" Not by Might, nor by Power ; but by my Spirit, 
saith the Lord of hosts." 

1 The Indians are accustomed to "be summoned by the discharge of 
a gun. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE CHARACTER, HABITS, AND SUPERSTITIONS OF 
THE INDIANS. 

Their indolence and apathy — Acute observation— Habits, hospitality 
&c. — Drunkenness — Polygamy — Revenge — Superstitions — The 
Yauhahu or Demons — The system of Sorcery or Piai-ism — Anecdotes 
— The Orehu, her qualities — Indian Tradition. 

Though the work of conversion has been commenced, 
and some progress made, yet mnch more remains to 
be done among the Indians of British Gniana. The 
majority of the tribes will still follow the customs 
and superstitions of their heathen ancestors. A short 
account of these may be useful to any future Mission- 
ary, and interesting to the Christian public. 

Very different opinions prevail, and are expressed, 
respecting the character of the Aborigines of Guiana, 
By some they are considered as being, in their 
natural condition, a virtuous and strictly moral race. 
Others may be met with, who call them lazy, ungrate- 
ful, and worthless; who give them credit for no good 
quality, and assert that they are incapable of eleva- 
tion. In one point all seem to agree, that by contact 



230 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



with civilization, without the healing power of Chris- 
tianity, they become much worse than they were 
before in their naturally wild condition. 

The Indian, in his natural state, is neither so good 
nor so bad as has been represented. Some idea may 
be formed from the history of our Missions, of the 
character and condition of the various tribes. The 
points wherein they differ have been briefly stated; 
but there are some things wherein they mostly agree, 
which seem to require further notice. 

Indolence is one of these. The continuous exertion 
required from every one who has to get his living 
among us, is not necessary in their way of life. The 
civilized man is compelled to exert his body or tax 
his mind constantly, in order to keep pace with his 
fellows, and too often places his happiness in the ac- 
quisition of a large portion of this world's goods ; 
but the Indian's aim is to get through life with as 
little trouble as possible. They are industrious only 
by fits and starts : and as the climate renders cloth- 
ing unnecessary, they have little to provide for beyond 
their daily food, and spend hours in their hammocks, 
picking their teeth, examining their features in a 
piece of looking-glass, and meditating some new and 
striking way of daubing their faces with arnotto. At 
other times they may be seen eradicating the hairs 
from their beards and eye-brows, — in the room of 
which latter some tribes tattoo lines according to 
their own ideas of beauty. The corners of the mouth 
are likewise tattooed in various patterns. 

Their apathy is also noted, though I think much 



INDIAN APATHY. 



231 



of it is assumed, and that their feelings are stronger 
than is generally supposed. They possess, however, 
great control over them, and seldom give vent to 
them in the presence of strangers, especially of the.- 
whites, for whom they entertain great reverence. 
Some of them are indeed so bashful that they will 
come behind a white person whom they wish to 
address, and seldom speak till necessity obliges them. 
This is often earned to a disagreeable and ridiculous 
extent, as in the following instance : — while passing 
up the river at midnight, on our return from a 
voyage of several days, as we drew near a small 
settlement on the bank, the Indian paddlers heard a 
jaguar 1 prowling round the house, the sides of which 
were open, the inhabitants asleep, and their fires so 
low as to be scarcely visible from the river. Instead 

1 These animals are so seldom seen by day, that in a series of 
monthly and sometimes weekly voyages and journeys, through different 
parts of the country, during a period of nine years, I have only had a 
full and perfect view of one of their species. Others, however, have 
seen them more frequently. A gentleman of my acquaintance was 
eating his breakfast one morning in the forest, when a TTarau who 
was sitting opposite to him exclaimed " Tobi ! " which is their word 
for jaguar. On looking round, my friend saw one of these animals 
standing on a tree behind him, and looking wistfully either at him or 
his breakfast. The alarm was given, and the jaguar pursued, but in 
vain. By night they are very daring. I have heard one dash through 
the water close to a house where people were waiting to shoot it. They 
will infest the estates night after night, and commit depredations 
among the live stock. On an urgent occasion, Mr. Nowers was des- 
cending the Moruca, with his family, about four in the morning, when 
a jaguar ran along the side of the narrow stream, for a long distance, 
growling and yelling in a very unpleasant manner. It was too dark 
to see him, but the splash of his foot-fall was distinctly heard within a 
few yards as the Indians rested on their paddles to listen. 



232 



BRITISH GUIANA, 



of giving an immediate alarm, as they would have 
done if alone, they waited in silence till the low dis- 
mal yell attracted my attention, and they were 
desired to do so. They then paddled towards the 
house. Before we reached it. a bright name showed 
that the sleepers had awakened, and were replenishing 
their fires ; a few cries in a low peculiar note were 
exchanged, and we passed on. 

This silence of the Indian paddler forms a strong 
contrast to the songs of the negro boatmen. To 
cheer their labour, one of these will sing a sentence, 
often extempore, to which all the others reply by a 
loud chorus ; this is followed by another sentence, and 
the chorus again renewed, and so on. till they all 
become tired. This kind of singing is much prac- 
tised by the negroes on the water, especially during 
the night in a clear moonshine : it is peculiarly ani- 
mating, and may be heard at a great distance. 
Unhappily, their songs are mostly of a very improper 
nature. 

The senses of the Indian are very acutt ; their 
sight, hearing, and sense of smell, naturally keen, 
being sharpened by necessity and continual exercise. 
They are peculiarly fitted for following game, or 
tracking an enemy through, the forests and swamps. 
The turn of a leaf, or a broken twig, is examined 
with minute attention. They will tell how many 
men, women, and children have passed, where a 
stranger could only see confused marks on the path 
before him ; and from the appearance of the track, 
and state of the weather will tell, within a little, the 



ACUTENESS OF OBSERVATION. 



233 



time that has elapsed since the foot-marks were made. 
Frequently, when on arriving at a settlement, I have 
been disappointed by the absence of the people, I 
have seen the Indians with me examine the ashes of 
the fires, the dust on the utensils that have been 
left, and the various paths leading from the place, 
from which they would tell w r hen the people left the 
house, and in which direction they were gone. The 
keen eye of an Indian boy once (by Divine provi- 
dence) saved me from the bite of a labaria. I was 
about to put my hand in a box of loose school -papers, 
when the Indian lad arrested it crying, " Snake ! " 
I tried in vain to get a sight of the snake, but he 
still persisted in saying it was there, on which I over- 
turned the box. The deadly reptile darted about, 
seeking a way of escape, but being in a school-room, 
was easily destroyed by the Indian boys with long 
sticks, though, as may be supposed, he cleared the 
apartment at first. 

Notwithstanding the indolence with which the 
Indians are charged, and the apathy ascribed to 
them, they are keen observers of natural objects. 
Though utterly unacquainted with scientific rules, 
their knowledge of medicinal and poisonous plants 
shows that they must have studied the properties of 
the vegetable kingdom. They are also perfectly 
acquainted with the habits of the animals, birds, and 
insects, which inhabit their country ; and will some- 
times point out singular facts connected with them. 
An Indian girl, lately in our service, called the 
attention of her mistress to a white scorpion, sur- 



234 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



rounded by bands of the warrior or hunting ants, 
which had taken possession of the house, and were 
destroying the vermin. The scorpion seemed to 
have loose scales on her back, which the Indian girl 
said were her young ones. It was so, and the 
parent was brandishing her venomous tail, as she 
hurried on, in the vain hope of preserving their 
lives as well as her own, from the attack of the 
surrounding ants. 1 

An accurate knowledge of the nature and habits 
of wild animals is indispensable to men whose sub- 
sistence is in a great measure derived from the 
chase. The Indian hunter possesses it in perfection. 
He will exactly imitate the cry of various birds and 
animals, and shoot them when he has thus brought 
them within reach of his gun, arrow, or blow-pipe., 
He then hastens home, casts the game before his wife, 
and reposes in his hammock till she has cooked it. 

They are not very nice about the way in which 

1 These ants paid an unusually long visit on that occasion, staying 
with us nearly a fortnight. They took possession of an empty box, 
where they formed themselves into a mass of more than two cubic 
feet in size. They always form themselves into such a mass at night- 
fall, but, on that occasion, they remained night and day in the position 
they had assumed. Detachments sallied forth from their head-quarters 
every morning to hunt, and whenever the weather was dry, apertures 
appeared in the living mass, from which issued a number of ants 
bearing their eggs, which are nearly as large as themselves. They 
brought them in again when damp or night came on. They did not 
molest us in the least, but destroyed the vermin, and seemed to have 
made their temporary sojourn for the purpose of hatching their eggs ; 
for when they quitted their retreat, the bottom of the box was found 
to be covered with their white skins or shells. It is a well-known 
fact, that these ants have many leaders or captains, whose heads and 
forceps are twice as large as those of the others. 



HOSPITALITY OF THE XATIVES. 



235 



their food is prepared. The Waraus will merely take 
out the inside of a fish, and without washing, cook 
and eat it. The Indians generally are perfectly 
ignorant of our domestic arrangements. On one 
occasion, having employed an Indian girl to cook 
some fish, we discovered that she had boiled it in the 
tea-kettle, 

They are strict observers of hospitality. When a 
stranger enters the dwelling of an Indian, he is sure 
of being entertained by him with the best fare at 
his command. Food will be set before him, the 
kasiri drink presented, if paiwari be wanting, and 
every kindness shown, if his conduct be civil or 
decent. It is true that the Indian looks upon him- 
self as entitled to a similar reception, but that is no 
more than just. 

They are fond of paying visits to their friends in 
distant parts of the country. The Indians, in clear- 
ing and planting their fields, calculate upon pro- 
visions for twelve months. They will probably be 
absent for three months of the year, on visits to 
their friends; but nothing is gained thereby, as their 
friends are sure to pay them a visit in return. In 
this manner the distant families preserve a con- 
nexion with each other, and maintain an extensive 
knowledge of the country. 

They cannot, generally speaking, be commended 
for punctuality. An Indian may promise to come 
to your settlement next week, but the slightest 
cause will induce him to put off his visit for one 
month, or even for three. Time is with them a 



236 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



matter of no consideration, though so valuable to 
us. But when a ease occurs which imperatively 
demands punctuality, as when a son leaves his aged 
parents to go on a journey, he will give them a 
string with a number of knots in it. one of which 
is to be untied every morning, and he will arrive, if 
well, on the day m which the last is untied. I have 
seen an aged couple regarding with great solicitude 
the knots on a cord thus left by their only son. 

Theft is unusual among the Indians. They leave 
their open houses, with several articles, valuable or 
useful to them, merely suspended out of the reach 
of destructive animals, but seldom indeed is any- 
thing stolen during their absence. When any such 
depredation occurs, the Indian thinks that the 
missing article has been carried off by negroes, or at 
least, by some other tribe than his own. 

The love of liberty is deeply implanted in the 
Indian bosom. An old writer says of those whom 
they used to capture from other tribes, and sell for 
slaves — " These kinds of slaves are only for show 
and parade, as they absolutely refuse to work, and 
if at all ill-treated, or especially if beaten, they pine 
and languish like caged turtles, even refusing food, 
till by affliction and want they are exhausted, and 
finally expire." 

Xo people upon earth are more independent in 
their way of life. Each man selects the site for his 
dwelling, which he builds himself, and also makes 
most of the implements required in hunting and 
fishing. They love the excitement of the chase. 



HABITS OF DRUNKENNESS. 



237 



though it does not always fully supply their wants ; 
and the successful hunter takes his repose and enjoys 
himself, without any concern for the artificial com- 
forts which we have learned to value, and unmind- 
ful of the wants of the morrow. 

We must now consider some of the darker points 
of the Indian character and habit. 

Their drunkenness has been already noticed.- It 
is a most melancholy feature. They are not 
addicted to the systematic dram-drinking practised 
by millions of Europeans, but to fearful excess at 
intervals. When they have tasted the intoxicating 
draught, they seem incapable of moderation. Most 
of their quarrels spring from this habit, as they then 
become violent and overbearing. When the Indian 
is intoxicated, the causes of offence which he may 
fancy he has against his wife, come into his mind, 
and he will give her a severe beating. I once heard 
a Warau woman earnestly beg of a settler " not to 
give the men rum, or they would surely beat their 
wives." 

Some, who ought to have known and practised 
better things, have taken delight in making the 
Indians drunk, either for amusement, or the grati- 
fication of their own selfish desires. Of this 
depravity I have known too many instances, but 
these practices seem now to be declining, and we 
trust they may soon entirely cease and be for- 
gotten. 

One Indian only have I met with, who before the 
introduction of Christianity did not drink rum 



238 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



whenever he could get it. He told me his mother 
had said to him, " My son, rum has killed many young 
men whom I have known, and if you drink so much, 
it will perhaps kill you, and you are my only son." 
He obeyed the parental warning, and became a 
respectable man, who has done much for the promo- 
tion of Christianity among his people. 

Paiwari is said to be much less hurtful than 
ardent spirits, but its use is, nevertheless, a great 
evil. 

Allusion has been made to the dances of the 
Indians ; and the Maquarri and the Owiarri dances 
of the Arawaks have been already described. In 
these there is some pretension to order, and a certain 
degree of gracefulness. But the general dance of 
the other Indians, if it can be called such, consists 
chiefly in stamping on the ground, balancing on one 
foot, and staggering in different attitudes as if in- 
toxicated. % 

Polygamy has been mentioned as the great bane 
of their domestic life. They live in comfort as long 
as they are content with one wife, and instances of 
conjugal attachment are not unfrequent. But as 
no Indian is restricted in the number of his wives, 
being allowed to take as many as he wishes for, or 
can maintain, we frequently find a man possessed 
of more wives than one. They seem to regard this 
as a mark of greatness. 

A well-known Warau, named Tamenawari, was 
pointed out to me in 1840 as having nine wives. 
He was reported to be very jealous, and to have 



POLYGAMY. 



239 



shot one, and cut through the arm of another with 
a cutlass. He lived too far away for me to investi- 
gate the truth of these reports by actual observation, 
but I believe them to be correct. A settler in our 
neighbourhood taxed him with his crimes, and 
threatened to apprehend him. Tamenawari immedi- 
ately complained of sickness, and took to his 
hammock, where I visited him ; but the next 
morning he was not to be found, having decamped 
during the night with all possible celerity and 
silence. About four years after, he came to the 
Mission, and attended Divine Service. He was 
much altered in his appearance, and on my inquiring 
after his wives, he said he had not one left ; that 
they had all deserted him during a long and 
dangerous illness, and that he then lived with his 
son. 

It is not an uncommon thing to see an Indian, 
who has a wife and family of young children, bring- 
ing up a little girl, ^who in a few years will become 
his second wife. The unhappiness attendant on this 
practice must be manifest to all, as the first wife 
will not always tamely submit, for though in a 
degraded condition, the natural feelings of woman 
rebel at such- cruel treatment • and jealousy and 
unhappiness, have, in some instances, led to suicide. 

I found that the Caribs were continually quarrelling 
about their wives, and taking them from each other 
without scruple, the strongest arm prevailing. They 
sometimes resorted to deadly weapons to make good 
their claims. 



240 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



The male relations of the women would some- 
times demand payment, before they would consent 
to give them in marriage, even when the woman was 
no longer very young. I know two instances, in 
which the parties were obliged to fly, to avoid the 
consequence of a stolen match. One of these men 
told me that he narrowly escaped having his head 
cleft, by a blow from the brother of the woman 
whom he had taken. 

This custom is a relic of barbarous antiquity. 
At present, among the Macusis, in the distant 
interior of the country, the custom of selling each 
other, even near relatives, prevails \ and it is said, 
that " when a man dies, his wife and children are 
at the disposal of the eldest sm-viving brother, who 
may sell or kill them at pleasure." 1 

Many of the tribes are indeed very deficient in 
natural affection. A Carib once demanded three 
dollars, as the price of his consent to place his 
orphan nephew at school. He afterwards offered to 
give up all claim to him, if we would give him a 
bottle of rum. It is needless to say, that neither 
demand was complied with. He had previously 
neglected the boy, who had been brought to me by 
some well-disposed people of his tribe. 

It is evidently wrong to call people among whom 
these things prevail, moral or virtuous. Men cannot 
be strictly moral or virtuous, when unrenewed in 
the spirit of then- minds. Equally incorrect is he 
who considers that the manners of the Indians 

1 Dr. Hancock, Martin, p. 52. 



REVENGE. 



241 



" present an amiable picture of primceval innocence 
and happiness.''' From the facts above related, this 
will be seen to be, in a great measure, a delusive 
appearance. 

But it will appear more strongly, when we con- 
sider other customs prevalent among them, especially 
the system of revenge, by which a series of retalia- 
tory murders may be kept up for a long time. Many 
mysterious ceremonies are said to be observed in dis- 
covering a murderer, which as I have not witnessed 
I cannot pretend to describe. The avenger will track 
his victim with unrelenting heart. Should he fail in 
his purpose, it is said that some innocent person re- 
lated to the supposed murderer, must pay the penalty 
with his life. In consequence of this practice, the 
Indians in the interior seldom consider themselves 
as in perfect safety. Those near the coast apply to 
the Post-holder, or some influential white man, 
whose mediation is generally successful. 

The religious belief of the Indian, in his natural 
state, has been already noticed. Ages have elapsed 
since his ancestors gradually forsook God, neglecting 
to walk with, serve, or worship Him ; yet still 
tradition has handed down a belief in the existence 
of the Supreme Being, which the observation of 
nature has confirmed. The reflection of the poet — 

" Lo, the poor Indian, whose untutor'd mind 
Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind," 

is, to a certain extent, just. It is from the apparent 
convulsions and phenomena of nature, such as 
lightning and thunder, that the Indian forms his 
R 



24:2 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



ideas of the power of God ; while the growth of his 
cassava, and the other provisions made for his wants, 
convince him of his goodness. Strange it is. that 
with snch ideas of the Supreme Being, they should 
seek to inferior spirits, and those of a malignant 
nature, to avert calamity ! 

Of these beings, according to then- belief, there 
are more kinds than one. The yauhahu and orehu 
of the Arawaks, are objects of faith to the other 
tribes, though under different names. 

The Yauhahu are the beings applied to by their 
sorcerers. They delight in inflicting miseries on 
mankind. They are believed to be unceasingly 
active in the pursuit of evil, and to occasion sick- 
ness and death. Pain is called, in the poetical 
idiom of the Arawaks, " yauhahu siinaira/' the evil 
spirit's arrow. This is its general name among them. 

While the great Creator, after having formed all 
things, and established the laws of nature, is believed 
by the Indians to exist in tranquil bliss, unaffected 
by the miseries of man, the afflictions occasioned by 
the yauhahu can only be remedied by propitiating 
the demons themselves. 

The men professing to have power to do this, 
possess, in consequence, immense influence among 
them. They are, in fact, their priests. Before they 
are admitted to a knowledge of the mysteries of their 
profession, they are subjected to an ordeal sufficient 
to try their fortitude. It is said that they are shut 
up in one of their enclosed huts, or places of enchant- 
ment, for a considerable time, and there obliged to 



SORCERY. 



243 



fast, and drink the jnice of tobacco in large quantities. 
This plant is much used in their mysteries, and is 
looked upon in consequence as almost sacred. 

They must after this observe a strictly regulated 
diet. They are especially forbidden to eat the flesh of 
animals not indigenous to the country. To such an 
extent do some of them carry this abstinence, that 
I have known a Warau of this class who pretended 
to eat nothing but vegetables and fresh fish, and who 
refused to pick up some North American salt fish 
which had accidentally fallen on the ground, telling 
his employer that if he did so, it would destroy the 
power of his future enchantment. These sorcerers 
are called by the colonists piai-men. They are each 
furnished with a large gourd or calabash, which has 
been emptied of its seeds and spongy contents, and 
has a round stick run through the middle of it by 
means of two holes. The ends of this stick project ; 
one forms the handle of the instrument, and the 
other has a long string to which beautiful feathers 
are attached, wound round it in spiral circles. 
Within the calabash are a few small white stones, 
which rattle when it is shaken or turned round. The 
calabash itself is usually painted red. This instru- 
ment is regarded with great awe and superstitious 
veneration by the heathen Indians, who fear to touch 
it, or even to approach the place where it is kept. 

When attacked by sickness, the Indians cause 
themselves to be conveyed to some friendly sorcerer, 
to whom a present of more or less value must be 
made. Death is sometimes occasioned by these 



2U 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



removals, cold being taken from wet or the damp of 
The river. If the patient cannot be removed, the 
sorcerer is sent for to visit him. The females are all 
sent away from the place, and the men must keep at 
a respectful distance, as he does not like his pro- 
ceedings to be closely inspected. He then commences 
his exorcisms, turning and shaking his ,, marakka'* or 
rattle, and chanting an address to the yatmahn. This 
is continued for hours, until, about midnight, the 
spirit is supposed to be present, and a conversation to 
take place, which is tuuntelhgible even to the Indians 
who may overhear it. These ceremonies are kept 
up for successive nights. 

If the patient should survive the disease, the ex- 
citement, the noise, and the fumes of tobacco, with 
which he is at times enveloped, and the sorcerer 
observes symptoms of recovery, he will pretend to 
extract the cause of complaint by sucking the part 
affected. After many ceremonies he will produce 
from his mouth some strange substance, such as a 
thorn or a gravel stone, a fish-bone or a bird's claw, 
a snake's tooth or a piece of wire, which some 
malicious yauhahu is supposed to have inserted in 
the affected part. As soon as the patient fancies 
himself rid of this cause of his illness, his recovery 
is generally rapid, and the fame of the sorcerer greatly 
increased. 

Should death, however, ensue, the blame is laid 
upon the evil spirit, whose power and malignity 
have prevailed over the counteracting charms. Some 
other sorcerer will at times come in for a share of 



SORCERY. 



24-5 



the blame, whom the sufferer has unhappily made 
his enemy, and who is supposed to have employed 
the yauhahu in destroying him. The sorcerers being- 
supposed to have the power of causing as well as of 
curing diseases, by their magical art, they are much 
dreaded by the common people, who never wil- 
fully offend them. So deeply rooted in the Indian's 
bosom is this belief concerning the origin of diseases, 
that they have little idea of sickness arising from 
other causes. Death may arise from a wound or a 
contusion, or be brought on by want of food, but in 
other cases it is the work of the yauhahu. 

I once saw a Warau practising his art upon a 
woman afflicted with a severe internal complaint. 
He was, when I first saw him, blowing violently into 
his hands, and rubbing them upon the affected part. 
I felt compelled to interrupt him, and tell him that 
his proceedings were bad. He very candidly acknow- 
ledged it, put up his implements, and went away. 
The fate of the poor woman, as it was related to me 
some time afterwards, was very sad. Though a 
Venezuelan half-breed, and professedly a Romanist, 
she was wedded to the Indian superstitions, and 
after trying the most noted sorcerers without relief, 
she inflicted a mortal wound on herself with a razor, 
in the vain endeavour to cut out the imaginary cause 
of her internal pain. 

Some have imagined tha*t these men have faith in 
the power of then own incantations, from their per- 
forming them over their own children, and even 
causing th m to be acted over themselves when sick. 



246 



BRITISH GUI AX A. 



This practice it is indeed difficult to account for. 
The juggling part of their business is such a gross 
imposture as could only succeed with a very ignorant 
and simple people : but it is perhaps in their case, as 
in some others, difficult to tell the precise r 
where credulity ends, and imposture begins. It is 
certain that they are excited during their incantations 
in a most extraordinary way. and positively affirm 
that they hold a real intercourse with the evil spirits, 
nor will they allow themselves to be laughed out of 
the assertion, however ridiculous it may appear to us. 

The Waraus, the most degraded and ignorant of 
the tribes, are the most noted as sorcerers. The huts 
which they set apart for the performance of their 
superstitious rites are regarded with great veneration. 

Mr. Xowers. on visiting a "Warau settlement, en- 
tered one of these huts, not being aware of the offence 
he was committing, and found it perfectly empty, 
with the exception of the gourd, or •* mataro." as it' 
is called by that tribe. There was in the centre of 
the hut a small raised place, about eighteen inches 
high, on which the tire had been made for burning 
tobacco. Having brought out the gourd, and ashed 
the man to give it to him. he peremptorily refused, 
saying, " that if he did so. his two children would 
die the same night." 

The sorcerers are generally called upon to confer 
Indian names upon the* children of their tribe. 
All these names have a meaning. A few may be 
mentioned, as shoving the taste of the Arawaks in 
this particular. Some are derived from personal 



THE OREHU. 



247 



appearance, the hair especially being noticed ; as 
" Ka-barra-H," having hair ; u Ma-barra'-si-li/' head 
without hair; " Ka-korri'-si-li," curly hair, &c. One 
boy whom I knew was called by a name signi- 
fying soft-head. Some derive their names from 
birds or other animals, as, " Koiali," the red and 
blue macaw. Others are named after the tobacco, 
their favourite plant, as, " Yuri," tobacco ; " Yuri- 
banna," tobacco-leaf ; " Yuri-tokoro," tobacco -flower ; 
the latter name being often given to a handsome 
person, generally of the female sex. Others are 
named from some quality or title, as, " Ifili," the 
great ; (: Adaiahu," the governor, &c. A present is 
given to the priest who names the child. 

We have now to consider the Orehu j an impor- 
tant being in the Indian mythology. The Orehu is 
a mysterious female inhabiting the waters. Though 
not so decidedly malignant as the Yauhahu, she is 
very capricious, and consequently dreaded by the 
benighted Indian. Her supposed form agrees with 
that of the mermaid of European fancy ; but she 
does not confine herself to that alone, for with 
extraordinary taste she sometimes presents herself 
above the water with the head of a horse or other 
animal, as it may suit her fancy, or the object she 
has in view. She often amuses herself with merely 
terrifying mankind, but sometimes bears both canoe 
and people to the bottom. * 

There is a spot on the banks of the Pomeroon, 
where the earth, being undermined by the current, 
has sunk, and the trees which formerly nourished 



248 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



there remain withered and bare, presenting a deso- 
late appearance. This is supposed to be a favourite 
resort of the Orehu. Many, especially of the 
WarauSj if compelled to pass the spot by night, 
keep close to the opposite bank, and glide with 
noiseless paddles past the place, where the Orehu is 
believed to have fixed her abode. 

The superstitious belief concerning this being has 
extended itself to the few negroes who dwell on the 
rivers of Guiana. During the first few months of my 
residence, before any Indians attended the infant Mis- 
sion, I had often observed the terror of the black boy 
who lived with me. when he perceived a light near 
the surface of the water. This was merely the 
lantern-fly, which sometimes flies low. On one occa- 
sion; while fishing by moonlight on the stream, in my 
small canoe, our line was seized by something which 
we were unable to bring to the surface. The boy 
cried with terror, and begged me to let the u Watra- 
mama ' T (as the negroes call her) take possession of 
the line, as otherwise she would carry us under 
water in her anger. The line suddenly snapped, 
and our hooks were all lost, which compelled us 
to return home \ and he would not venture again 
on the stream to fish by night. 

The Orehu is not always malicious and cruel. 
On the contrary, she has sometimes exerted herself 
in a benevolent manner, and is supposed by the 
Indians to have been the author of that system of 
sorcery, by which they seek to defend themselves 
from the attacks of the yauhahu. 



INDIAN TRADITION. 



249 



Aii old seini-cici of the Arawaks, who bore the 
appropriate native name of " ALaraka-kore " {the red- 
rattle), became one of our catechumens in 1841. As 
he was the great oracle in all matters connected 
with the traditions of his tribe, I used frequently to 
question him, and derived much curious information, 
which it was only in the power of an aged man of 
his class to communicate. 

Having one day begged him to tell me what 
were their real ideas of the origin of their system ; 
after some reluctance, he complied. The following 
tradition was then delivered in the presence of 
several persons, and interpreted by John William 
their chief : — 

u In very ancient times, the yauhahu, being 
unrestrained in their practices, inflicted continual 
misery on mankind ; causing not only great afflic- 
tion, such as sickness, but perpetual annoyance in 
other ways, even destroying their food and spoiling 
their cooking utensils. An Arawak, named Ara- 
wanili, was walking by the water-side, brooding 
over the condition to which men were reduced, when 
a female figure, the Orehu, arose from the stream, 
bearing in her hand a small branch. This she 
presented to the man, desiring him to plant it, and 
afterwards gather its fruit. He did so, and thus 
obtained the calabash, till then unknown among 
them. She again emerged from the water with 
small white stones in her hand, which she desired 
him to enclose in the gourd in the manner before 
described. After instructing him in the mysteries 



250 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



of the system of semeci, she again retired to her 
watery abode. He followed her directions, and 
became the founder of that system, which has since 
prevailed among all the Indian tribes." 

On inquiring where Arawanili was now, and 
whether he had not long ago died like other men, 
the old man said, that according to their belief 66 he 
went up, and did not die." 1 

When asked if he really in his heart believed the 
tale, the old man said, that he had firmly believed 
it before he had heard the word of God. I then 
asked, if he knew where these events were supposed 
to have happened. He replied, " Not in this land, 
but at Kaieri" pointing with his hand to the north- 
ward. The word kaieri literally signifies " an 
island," but none of them knew by what name the 
English called the island in question, until the 
chief, after some reflection, said that the Christianos 
had named it Trinidad. The tradition seemed of 
some importance, as showing that this tribe had in 
former ages some connexion with the islands, and 
did not entirely confine their abode to Terra Firma. 

The above is a picture of the character, habits, 
and superstitions of the Indians of Guiana, as far as 
the observations and inquiries of myself and brethren 
have enabled me to depict them. They are not 
idolators, nor addicted to human sacrifices and other 
appalling rites, which disfigure many fair portions of 

1 There is considerable variety in the traditions which the Arawaks 
have received from their ancestors respecting this person, who seems 
to have occupied as prominent a place in their mythology, as Q,uetzl- 
coatl in that of the ancient Mexicans. 



REFLECTIONS. 



251 



the globe ; and their general character is amiable. 
Still enough has been revealed to show how 
ignorant they are of all that is really good, pure, 
and holy. The craft of Satan has led them to 
forsake the Fountain of good, and to seek intercourse 
with that which is evil. Something similar to these 
superstitions was practised among the sinful Jews 
of old, as we may learn from the expostulation of 
the Prophet : — 

u When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them 
that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that 
peep, and that mutter ; — should not a people seek 
unto their God ? !! 



CHAPTER XV. 



DIFFICULTIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

The various Languages spoken by the Indian Tribes — Examples and 
Remarks — Other Difficulties — Unhealthiness of some of the River 
Districts — -Second Abandonment of Waramuri. 

The Indian has been taught, from his earliest 
infancy, to reverence and follow the superstitions 
practices detailed in our last chapter. He is in 
consequence attached to them by early training and 
the force of habit. Believing that he has no other 
defence against sickness and the various ills of life, 
he clings to them as his refuge and strength, and 
only help in time of trouble. 

The civilized man may langh at the absurdity 
of these ideas, and endeavour to convince him of 
their folly. But they will endure as long as the 
Indian race exists, unless something better be given 
in their stead — unless the void which their rejection 
occasions, be supplied by the sure and certain hope 
of the Gospel. Their evil can only be dislodged 
effectually by the good that is in Christ, whose 
Spirit and word alone can cast down imaginations, 
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the 
knowledge of God. 



VARIETY OF LANGUAGE. 253 

Missionary labour among these people has its own 
peculiar difficulties. It is necessary to an impartial 
review, that these should be briefly stated. 

The first is the difficulty arising from the variety 
of language. Most of the Indians in the more 
remote districts are so ignorant of English, as not 
to know what is said to them in our tongue, unless 
it be interpreted. The interpreters are little to be 
depended on, as I have found in too many instances, 
owing to their ignorance of correct English, which 
is very different from the jargon acquired from the 
negroes. Most absurd blunders sometimes occur; 
and it is not an easy thing, though it may seem so, 
to correct errors, after they have spread widely and 
been received for a long time. 

The Missionaries in Eastern Polynesia, where the 
several dialects of the islands spring from one com- 
mon original, are more highly favoured than those 
of Guiana. "Within forty miles of the Mission 
in Pomeroon, four Indian languages are spoken, 
three .of which are distinct tongues. 

Even the animals and birds of the country are 
called by different names by the various nations. 
The jaguar is called by the Arawaks arua, by the 
Waraus tobi, and by the Caribs kaikuci. In the 
other words the same difference is observable ; for 
example, the word " good " in Arawak is sa or isa, 
and 66 bad " is wakaia. In the Warau tongue yahira 
is good, and asida is bad. The Caribs call good, 
idupa, and bad, yawamL 

The following short vocabulary will still further 



254 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



show how distinct the three languages are, and 
the resemblance between the Caribi and Wacawoio 
dialects. 1 



ARAWAK, 


WAR AU. 


CARIEISI. 


WACAWOIO. 


. , .,. 

J\ Q. cllll e 


Ya. 


Weyu. 


Wiyeyu. 


Jvaci. 


W"anika. 










c5iii & y u « 


Irema 


Ikihi. 


Ekuno, 


Wato. 


Watu. 


Oniabu. 


Ho. 


Tona. 


Tona. 


Oini. 


Naha. 


Konobo. 


Konobo 


Siba. 


Hoiyo. 


Tobo. 


Toebo. 


Motogo. 


Kahimura. 


Sakou. 


Sakou. 


Kaieri. 


Ota-boroho. 


Pahu. 


Paho. 


Wadili. 


Neboro. 


Wakuri. 


Wino. 


Hiaro. 


Tida. 


Wori. 


Iboite. 


Da'si. 


M'aqua. 


Yubopo. 


Yupopo. 


Da'kabo. 


M'amuho. 


Yenari. 


Yenaru. 


Bawhu. 


Hanoko. 


Yeaute. 


Yeaute. 


Abar. 


Isaka. 


Oe. 


Tigina. 


Biama. 


Manamu. 


Oko. 


Asagre. 


Kabuin. 


Dianamu. 


Oroa. 


Osorwo. 


Bibici. 


Rabakaia. 


Okobaime. 


Asagrene. 



Sun . 
Moon 
Stars . 
Fire. . 
Water . 
Rain . 
Stone or 
Rock . 
Sand . 
Island 
Man . 
Woman 
{My) Head . 
(My) Hand. 
House . . , . 

One 

Two 

Three . . . . 
Four (2) . . 



1 In this vocabulary and in the other Indian words, the sound of the 
vowels is that of the Italian language : — ai resembles the sound of * 
in mile; and au resembles the English ow in how. The consonants 
have the usual English sound ; — ci is, however, used to express che, as 
in the word cheer. The above orthography has been recommended for 
adoption by Sir R. Schomburgk. 

2 The Indian method of numeration is peculiar. The first four 
numbers are expressed by simple words, as in the above table. Five 
is, in the Arawak, abar-dakabo, " my one hand." Then comes a repe- 
tition, abar-timen^ biam-timen, kabuin-temen, bibici-timen, six, seven, 
eight, nine. Biam-dakabo, " my two hands," is ten. From ten to 
twenty they use the toes, {Jcuti or ohuti,) as abar-kuti-bana, eleven ; 
biam-kuti-ba/ia, twelve, &c. They call twenty abar-loko, or " one man." 
They then proceed by men or scores, thus, forty-five is biam-loko abar- 
dakabo tajeago, " two men and one hand added." Eor higher numbers 
they have adopted the hundred and thousand of European?-. A method 
of numeration similar to this is used by the Caribs and Waraus, and 
probably by other tribes. 



VARIETY OF LANGUAGE. 



255 



It will be seen, that the Caribisi and Wacawoio 
are only different dialects of the same common 
language, though in some points they vary con- 
siderably. This is an important fact in tracing the 
origin of the various tribes. The words of the 
Carabisi language are spoken with distinctness, and 
in a smart vivacious manner. 

The other languages are entirely distinct from 
each other. The Warau is the simplest and most 
easily acquired ; but so very confined, as to be 
almost incapable of expressing some of the great 
truths of Christian doctrine. It is somewhat harsh 
and dissonant. 

The language of the Arawaks is the softest of all 
the Indian tongues. They are proud of it, and 
boast of its superior beauty, when compared with 
the dialects spoken by the various tribes around 
them, from all which it differs essentially. Some 
resemblance may be traced in the construction of 
sentences, but this is small, and it seems quite un- 
mixed with any other Indian tongue. 1 

Though deficient in the number of words when 
compared with our own, the language of the 
Araw r aks is capable of considerable nicety of ex- 
pression. In some respects it is even copious, as in 

1 There are many words of Spanish origin used by all the Indian 
tribes. These are the names of objects with which they were unac- 
quainted, previously to their discovery by that nation. Thus they call 
a goat, cabaritu, and a fowl, karma, from the Spanish words cabarita and 
gallina. Their word for shoe, sapatu, is from the Spanish zapato, and 
from the Spanish arcabuz comes the word araJcabnsa which the Indians 
apply to fire-arms. 



256 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



words expressing relationship, some of which are 
more strictly definite than with us. As, for instance, 
in the word brother, we use the same word, his or 
her brother ; but if the Arawak is speaking of a 
man's brother, the expression would be either Vobugici, 
his elder brother, or Fatigici, his younger brother ; 
but with reference to a female, - a different word 
would be used, t'aciligici, her brother. This is one 
of many instances. This language is regularly 
constructed, and the moods and tenses of its verbs 
are numerous. 

As vowels abound, and the words run much into 
each other, it is very difficult for a learner to under- 
stand what is spoken. The construction of their 
sentences is totally opposite to our modes of speech. 
Other striking peculiarities abound, which it is 
unnecessary to notice here. 

The above statement seemed necessary to enable 
the reader to comprehend the great difficulty pre- 
sented to the Missionary, by the various languages 
and dialects spoken by the Indian tribes. As the 
part of the country frequented by the English is 
quitted, the people are found to be more and more 
ignorant of our tongue, and probably some of the 
tribes will be extinct ere it is generally used. 

In addition to this difficulty, the Missionary 
shares with the parochial minister in the anxieties 
and disappointments of the pastoral office. Among 
our converts, those who are led by deep conviction 
to come forward first of all, and in defiance of their 
heathen brethren, are generally found to be the 



CASE OF APOSTASY. 



2o7 



most steady and consistent. Next to these we may, 
perhaps, reckon those who have been most open and 
candid in their opposition, when once they see their 
error and repent. But there are many others who 
will go with the stream as it ebbs or flows ; who 
will follow the greater number, and when they are 
in favour of the religion of Christ, will join them- 
selves to really sincere converts as catechumens, 
and with them receive holy baptism, though desti- 
tute of repentance, and wanting a lively faith. After 
a time the tares begin to show themselves. These 
things cannot excite surprise. Hypocrisy has been 
found in every portion of the visible Church ; and 
even among the Apostles one was a Judas. 

The most painful case that has occurred among 
our people, was that of a man who had thus joined 
himself to other members of his family, and out- 
wardly embraced Christianity. His wife, who 
appears to have been a sincere person, died soon 
after, and he then deserted his children to seek 
another partner. This was about the time of the 
drought, when all were reduced to great necessity, 
and his children one after another died from disease, 
brought on by bad living. The father became 
afterwards so inveterate against his former Christian 
companions, from hearing of the manner in which 
they had spoken of his bad conduct, that he came 
one morning while they were in Church, and 
destroyed the plantain-trees which he had before 
abandoned, and which were then bearing, lest any- 
one should partake of their fruit. This is an 
s 



258 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



uncommon instance of depravity, to which I have 
seen no parallel among the Indians. 

From the foregoing history, it will be seen that the 
greatest drawback to our Missions has arisen from 
the failure of the health of the Missionaries. The 
cultivated coast of Guiana is cleared and drained, 
and it enjoys the continual breezes of the trade 
winds, which coming from the Atlantic Ocean, cool 
the air, and render it agreeable and healthy. But 
in that extensive tract of forest land which lies 
between the coast and the high lands of the interior, 
the breeze is only felt for a few hours during the 
day j dense vapours arise at evening, and rest upon 
the earth till morning, and the vast extent of 
swampy land fills the air with miasma. Hence 
have arisen the frequent sickness of the Missionaries, 
and the compulsory abandonment of their Missions 
for a time. 

The following intelligence, communicated by the 
Eev. R. L. "Webber, is peculiarly distressing. He 
thus speaks of Wararnuri at the close of 1850 : — 

" The station has been deserted for three months. 
Mr. Currie came to town very ill, and has since 
been more than once given over by his medical 
attendant. I do not believe that he will ever be 
able to return thither. He has lost his wife and 
his only child within the last few months. The 
situation must, I fear, be very unhealthy." This is 
in the highest degree painful, both as it regards the 
Mission and the affliction of the family. 

While the Church estimates as she should the 



SECOND ABANDONMENT OF WARAMURI. 259 

labours of her Missionary Bishops and Clergy in 
distant lands, let not the toils and sufferings of her 
hnmble catechists be forgotten. 

The calamities which have befallen the Mission at 
Waramuri are not light; and must be regarded as a 
trial of our faith. The long-continued sickness of 
Mr. Nowers and ' his family, and the loss of his 
child, caused it to lie vacant for two years. This 
more recent affliction will, perhaps, cause the re- 
moval of the Mission to some less promising but 
more healthy situation, if any such can indeed be 
found in the country of the Waraus. 

Should such be the case, the verdant forest will 
soon cover the spot where once stood the house 
of God, and where the departed members of the 
Mission families await the resurrection morn; but 
the history of the Mission of Waramuri will not be 
soon forgotten among those who have worshipped 
there. The Indian fathers will tell their children of 
the hundreds of men who assembled and cleared 
that extensive space, and willingly assisted to build 
a place of worship, where themselves and families 
might be taught the religion of Jesus Christ. 

While we endeavour faithfully to fulfil our great 
commission, and do our Master's work, we must 
leave the event in his hands, and say as he has taught 
us, 



" Thy will be done." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

Outward Change in the Indians— Attention to Religious Services— 
Their Dwellings, Industry, Clothing, &c.— Respectable appearance 
of Christian Indian Congregations— Comfort afforded by the 
Christian Religion to the Sick and Dying— The Burial-Ground— 
Amelioration in the Condition of the Female Sex— Indian Marriage 
Feast — The Rattles of the Sorcerers given up — Condition of our 
Missions at the close of 1850. 

That a considerable change has taken place in the 
coinage of a few years among the Indians in the 
neighbourhood of the Missions in Guiana, is evident 
to all acquainted with them. 

When Mr. Waterton wrote the account of his 
third journey, not many years ago, he expressed his 
belief, that " not a single Indian in ci-devant Dutch 
Guiana could read or write." 1 At present there are 
many that can do both. 

These acquirements are, however, of secondary 
importance, and perfectly compatible with immorality 
and iiTeligion. But there are many of our people, of 
whose spiritual condition we have every cause to 
think well ; and. it is indeed impossible that they 
should travel so many miles to attend the ordinances 
of religion, if the}^ did not value them highly. 

1 Wanderings, p. 203. 



CHANGE IN INDIAN MANNERS, 



261 



Xeither savage nor civilized man will voluntarily 
take great pains and labour to follow that which is 
indifferent to him. Our prayers, morning and 
evening, at the Missions, are regularly attended, and 
regarded as a privilege. When obliged to leave the 
Mission at three in the morning, in order to have 
the tide in our favour when going on a long voyage ; 
I have frequently known both men and women 
voluntarily leave their hammocks in order to join in 
the prayers which were offered before embarking, 
though none but my crew were required or expected 
to do so. 

We can only judge of mens hearts by then 
actions, as we know the tree by its fruit. They 
who were formerly unclad, now clothe themselves 
from head to foot, and while the heathen of both 
sexes may be seen moving about the public roads on 
the coast in a state of almost perfect nudity, an 
Arawak Christian female would no more think of 
appearing in such a state than would an English- 
woman. At the Missions they also provide them- 
selves with better houses. A few posts supporting a 
roof were formerly all that was thought necessary, but 
now the Mission cottages have sides, doors, window- 
shutters, and frequently a boarded floor. Tables 
and benches are now used, whereas a block of wood 
was once deemed sufficient, with the hammock. 

Many families are also provided with washing tubs, 
irons, &c. ; and it is pleasing to see a group of busy 
females occupied in preparing the clean apparel for 
themselves and families against the Sabbath. Shoes 



262 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and stockings are worn by many on that day, 
although they go with bare feet during the rest of 
the week. These pleasing effects are solely to be 
attributed to the introduction of the Gospel, with 
its handmaids, industry and temperance. 

At a meeting of the Diocesan Association of the 
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, held at 
Georgetown, 28, Feb. 1844, the Hon. H. S. F. Young 
thus spoke of the existing Missions : — 

u Of the Missions of Bartica and of the Pome- 
roon, it may be said almost without a figure of 
speech, e the wilderness and the solitary place are 
glad, and the desert is rejoicing and blossoming as 
the rose.' Of the Pomeroon I have been informed, 
on the authority of one who was formerly a trader 
in the products of the forests of that river, that the 
employment in which hundreds and hundreds of 
negroes were formerly engaged is now filled by 
Indians ; the negroes have left the river, and there 
are at this moment more Indian labourers than 
persons willing to employ them. From the river 
the Indians have travelled to the coast. A magis- 
trate some time ago reported, that he had great 
satisfaction in stating, that he was told they were 
performing their work most satisfactorily." 

This proves that an Indian when led and not 
driven, both can and will work. 

In the following year, when the Indians had 
finished their great undertaking at Waramuri, sixty 
men immediately left the new Mission, to labour for 
a time on the coast, in order to provide clothing for 



TASTE IN CLOTHIXG. 



263 



themselves and families. For the Indian who has 
attended a place of worship once, immediately feels 
that he mnst dress himself decently, or go there no 
more. 

It may not be amiss to endeavour to give the 
reader some idea of the gradual change of Indian 
taste in this respect. The first European garment 
which the wild man of the woods procures is 
generally a shirt. This he wears till it is ready to 
drop off i then he buys a new one, which he puts on 
over the other, to appear in at Church. It fre- 
quently happens that the new one is shortest, and the 
extremity of the other by no means becoming. 
I have sometimes seen a Carib content himself with 
a waistcoat, and with no other covering than his 
native cloth, strut about with some degree of vanity. 
By degrees, example and persuasions have their 
effect, and he appears clothed from top to toe. 

The belle of the forest, whose only attire has been 
composed of beads, with a few ornaments of silver 
and the teeth of the jaguar, when she begins to 
assume an attire suitable to our ideas of decency, 
shows more avidity to possess clothes than taste in 
putting them on. The Caribi women seemed, at first, 
to think they never could wear clothing enough. 
The face, hands, and bare feet alone were visible, the 
rest appearing a confused heap of printed cotton, 
handkerchiefs, &c. of the most glaring and showy 
patterns. The love of ornament, natural to them, 
then displayed itself in large earrings, &c. of some 
spurious imitation of gold or silver. I was once 



264 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



obliged gently to caution them against this, and the 
next Sabbath all the earrings had disappeared, except 
one pair. The Arawak females are very neat in their 
apparel on the Sabbath. 

This neatness of dress in the converts of that 
tribe was very apparent among the people of 
Ituribisi who have attended Christian instruction. 
There are, probably, none of the Aborigines of 
America who exceed them in this respect. It was 
particularly observable in the young Indians of 
both sexes who in 1848 attended the consecration of 
the parish Church of St. John. 

The like improvement has taken place at the 
Missions on the rivers, as in those districts which are 
near the coast. Such was the case at Bartica, as I 
witnessed several years ago : and even in those 
parts which are more remote from civilized life, the 
same change is observable. The Bishop of Guiana 
thus describes his feelings at beholding the congrega- 
tion proceeding by water, from the Mission village in 
Pomeroon to the chapel, on Sunday morning : — 

" In many parts of Guiana we can only meet the 
roving Indian, travelling more like one of the brute 
creation than an intellectual being ; but where the 
message of salvation has been heard and felt, there, 
as if by a charm, civilization with its attendant 
graces immediately succeeds. I shall not forget the 
grateful spectacle of more than twenty canoes, filled 
with well-dressed Indians of both sexes, with the 
beaming intelligence of their little ones, as they 
followed in order the Mission bateau in which we 



COMFORT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



265 



were sitting ; not without satisfaction at the sight 
which they themselves presented, and yet evidently 
feeling the sacred occasion which called it forth. 
I felt that on the dark waters of the river I might 
never be permitted to witness a more comely train 
than was presented on that occasion." 

In order to see the benefit which Christianity 
confers upon the Indian, his character and condition 
require to be closely observed. Very different are 
these in reality from the picture formed in the 
imaginative mind. Primeval happiness is not the 
portion of the Indian any more than of the civi- 
lized man. His vices and his wants, though few, 
necessarily destroy it. It is a mistake to suppose 
that the life of heathen man is or can be one of 
happiness, however favourable the country and 
climate in which he dwells. The " noble savage" 
running " wild in woods," is a poetical idea ; and 
there is a charm in the wild freedom of a life in the 
woods, and considerable enjoyment to a young and 
healthy person, in managing the light canoe, or pur- 
suing his game through the forests. But it is 
animal enjoyment merely, and instantly fades under 
the pressure of hunger, and at the approach of sick- 
ness. When the Indian becomes sick, he has no 
comfort, no consolation ; his superstition teaches him 
that his sickness and pain are occasioned by the 
tormenting presence of an evil spirit ; while of the 
Supreme Being, as the God that heareth prayer, he 
knows nothing. When the pretended sorcerer whom 
he has summoned, fails to relieve him by his incan- 



266 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



tations, he finds himself shunned by his friends, who 
fear lest they should be the next victims. It is 
from this cause that the Indians are called unfeeling 
to each other in cases of sickness. They are ; when 
better taught, kind and affectionate ; but superstition 
in this, as in other things, hardens the heart. But 
it is in the hour of sickness, and pain, and sorrow, 
that the true comfort of the religion of Jesus is 
felt. The assurance that affliction is sent by a 
loving Father to bring us nearer to himself, and 
that " through the grave and gate of death we may 
pass to a joyful resurrection," is equally consoling to 
the Indian dying in his hammock, as to the white 
man in his bed. The Christian Indians pray with 
each other when sick, and send for their minister, 
instead of summoning the sorcerer to exorcise the 
yauhahu. Much excellent feeling of this kind may 
sometimes be witnessed. 

Some years ago we lost one of our most steady 
converts by the bite of a labaria snake. He was 
called Hendrick Yanke. While following his game 
through the forest, he placed his foot close to the 
reptile without perceiving it, and it immediately 
struck him with its poisonous fangs. I saw him 
three days after this event; he was in great torture, 
his foot, leg, and the whole of his right side being 
inflamed and swollen to an enormous size. He said 
that he shot the snake as soon as he perceived it, 
and that a dark cloud then came before his eyes. 
A fter some time he recovered sufficiently to crawl to 
his house, which was close by. He thought that as 



THE LAB ARIA SNAKE. 



267 



he had survived so many hours, he might recover, 
but expressed his resignation to the will of God. 

He did apparently recover, and was able to get 
about; but the poison had thoroughly tainted his 
blood, and he soon began to droop. He went to 
seek medical assistance, but it was of no avail. A 
large abscess formed on each side of his spine • and 
he soon began to show signs of approaching disso- 
lution. He then came to the Mission, where all 
manifested much feeling for him. He expressed his 
faith in Christ, and submission to the Divine will, 
thouo-h the tears stood in his eves as he looked on 
his infant family. He died eight months after he 
had received the bite. 

His only siuwiving brother was bitten by a labaria 
soon after. He was, with another Indian, hunting 
far from home ; and when the accident occurred, his 
companion, being unable to carry him, slung his 
hammock between two trees, placed him in it, and 
hastened to seek assistance. All night did the poor 
sufferer lie there exposed to the perils of the forest, 
yet still survived. The next day his friends arrived, 
and bore him to his house by means of a pole, to 
which his hammock was tied. The grief of his aged 
parents was excessive. They often begged of me to 
tell them, if I could, whether "this, their last son, 
would die." He was, like his departed brother, a 
Christian, seemed much comforted when visited, 
and had the holy Sacrament administered to him. 
A strong decoction of sarsaparilla seemed, by God's 
blessing, to produce a favourable change. The punc- 



268 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



ture of the serpent's fang was almost imperceptible ; 
but a sloughing ulcer formed about an inch from it, 
which continued to discharge for many weeks; after 
which he recovered his health, and was quite well 
when I quitted the country. 

A bamboo grove at the back of the hill had been 
set apart as a burial-ground; and one of the first 
who was there interred was the poor victim of the 
labaria snake. A post of hardwood was erected at 
the head of his grave by his brother, bearing the 
initials "H. Y." By his side rest the mortal re- 
mains of the young woman who set a good example, 
some years before, by refusing to be given in mar- 
riage to a man who had another wife. Several other 
Christian Arawaks are buried there. 

Close by rests the body of the wife of the Caribi 
chief, which was borne to the grave by her husband 
and son, who wept as the burial service was read 
over it. Jane, a beautiful little Caribi girl, also lies 
buried there. She was one of our best scholars, 
and when taken ill at her parents' house, desired 
them to bring her to the Mission. Her earnest 
request was refused by her heathen relatives, who. 
trusted to their superstitions to recover her. When 
these had failed, they brought her body to the 
Christian burial-ground, accusing themselves. They 
delivered up her well-thumbed Testament, which we 
preserve as a relic of a most amiable and excellent 
child, who was in mercy early removed from the 
temptation of evil example. 

. The scenes which we have witnessed at these graves 



BETTER TREATMENT OF WOME& 269 

have been sufficient to convince us that the heart of 
the red man is as susceptible of tender emotion as 
that of the white, when freed from the freezing in- 
fluence of superstitious fear. 

Nor is it only with respect to the treatment of 
the sick, and in regard to the dead, that the amelio- 
rating influence of Christianity is felt : it enters 
into every relation of life, and is especially seen in 
the treatment of the weaker sex. Polygamy is of 
course prevented by Christianity. When a man 
professing the faith of Christ, has, before God and in 
the presence of the congregation of the people of 
his tribe, vowed to keep to one wife, he cannot draw 
back without utter and shameful apostasy. From 
that time his wife feels more safe in her position, 
and is delivered from the constant apprehension of 
a future rival. Well, then, may the IndiaD women 
say of Christian matrimony, " It is a good thing." 

They are better treated by their husbands. The 
heathen Indians use their wives very hardly ; and 
it is nothing unusual to see Warau and Caribi 
women paddling the canoes, while their husbands 
amuse themselves with a stroke now and then. But 
under the Gospel, woman resumes her natural place, 
and though still obliged to work hard, it is only in 
what she considers her appropriate duties. It is 
only in a case of emergency that a Christian Indian 
expects his wife to paddle. She still plants the 
fields, and bears the best part of the household 
utensils to and from the canoe. This seems to us 
a hardship in some degree, but they do not consider 



270 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



it as such. Customs vary in different countries. 
I once desired a man to take a bunch of plantains 
off his wife's head and carry it himself. He did so 
with a smile ; but his wife seemed ashamed at what 
she considered a degradation of her husband. She 
seemed to feel much as the wife of an English 
labourer would feel, who should see her husband 
obliged by some oppressive tyrant to scrub the floor, 
or wash the clothes of the family. Still there is a 
gradual amendment taking place in the condition of 
the Indian women, who are no longer regarded as 
mere servile beings. 

A marriage was always regarded as a great event 
at the Mission, and a feast was usually given by the 
friends of the parties. On these occasions we re- 
ceived the primitive invitation, " Come and see us 
eat bread." In the evening a large party might be 
seen respectably dressed, and seated with much de- 
corum round two or three large tables, on winch 
were placed a tureen and several large bowls, filled 
with game and vegetables. A ham, which had been 
purchased on the coast for the occasion, seemed the 
greatest dainty. The Minister was requested to 
ask a blessing, The guests were furnished with 
plates and knives, and most of them with forks; 
but they were rather dangerous to some, as from 
constant habit the hand went to the mouth, while 
the prong of the fork threatened the eye. Con- 
trary to heathen usage, the women were admitted 
to share the feast, but were all seated at one end 
of the table ; till an amendment was gradually 



MARRIAGE FEAST. 



271 



effected, and they then took their seats by their 
husbands. This was a serious innovation upon 
their old customs. When the plates, &c. were re- 
moved, coffee was handed round by young men and 
women, who, having lived in civilized families, 
seemed to feel great delight in waiting on their own 
people on such occasions. After their tables had 
been twice or thrice filled with adults, they were 
again furnished, and the school children entertained, 
whose mirth and liveliness formed a strong contrast 
to the looks of grave importance with which their 
elders had gone through a scene so novel to them. 
The expenses of these feasts were all borne by the 
people themselves. We found pleasure in lending 
earthenware, candlesticks, &c, but everything else 
was furnished by the Indians. The Arawaks gene- 
rally invited some of their Caribi brethren, which 
was a compliment that seemed to be duly appre- 
ciated, and strengthened the good feeling existing 
between the tribes. 

What a contrast did these entertainments, at 
which no intoxicating chink was used, present to the 
frantic gestures, shrieks, wild whoopings, and intoxi- 
cation of the Maquarri and other dances ! As some 
of them remarked, " Our former dances round a 
canoe filled with paiwari were wicked and foolish, 
but we are now more happy." 

The system of sorcery, with its pernicious effects, 
has received a severe blow by the introduction of 
Christianity. Many still follow it, but it must 
recede as light advances. 



272 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Some of our first converts were of the class of 
conjurors or Piai men. Two of them in Pomeroon 
had broken their marakkas, or sacred rattles, before 
j oining the new religion. Others surrendered theirs as 
pledges of their sincere renunciation of the practice. 
Five of these gourds have come into my possession 
at different times ; some of which were hung up in 
the Mission school, and thus exposed to the contempt 
of the young people, who soon learned to la.ugh at 
and despise their pretended power. Occasionally 
some heathen stranger, who had paid us a visit, has 
suddenly been seized with a degree of nervous 
apprehension, at finding himself in close proximity 
to such dreaded instruments. The other gourds 
were sent to England, and two of them have been 
presented to the Missionary College of St. Augustine 
at Canterbury. 1 

The old man who related to me their tradition 
concerning the Orehu, was the first who gave up his 
rattle. He and all his family have been baptized; 
and it was for years a pleasing sight to see him, 
with his children and grandchildren, come to the 
Lord's table, supporting his feeble steps by a 
staff. 

The Missions whose history has been detailed in 
the foregoing pages, were all in a flourishing condition 
at the conclusion of the year 1850, with the excep- 
tion of Waramuri, the fate of which has been 
related, and which was then vacant. The number 

1 By the Rev. T. Medland of Steyning, an excellent friend of our 
Indian Missions in Guiana, to whom I had sent them. 



I 



STATE OF THE MISSIONS. 



273 



of Indians baptized is now very great. At the 
Poraeroon there were sixty-eight on the school list, 
and the Sabbath school was well attended, both by 
adults and children. His Excellency H. Barkly, Esq. 
the able Governor of the colony, had lately visited 
that station, arriving at night, but having received 
some afflicting intelligence from Georgetown, was 
compelled to leave instantly, having only taken a 
partial and torch-light review of the assembled 
Indians. In a second visit, his Excellency was 
accompanied by Mrs. Barkly, and they expressed 
themselves much gratified by what they saw. 

The other Missions were progressing, with more 
or less prospect of a steady increase. 

At the Mahaiconi there were from forty to sixty 
children at the school, and the consistent conduct of 
many of the elder Indians gives every hope that our 
labour in that quarter has not been in vain in the 
Lord. 

We must now conclude our narrative. "While 
looking forward with humble hope for an extension 
of Gospel light in Guiana, we desire to express our 
thankfulness for mercies past, and to say, 

" Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 



T 



CHAPTEE XVII. 



EARLY HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE INDIANS. 

Difficulty of tracing the Origin of the barbarous Tribes of America— 
The Macusis— The Waraus— Early Accounts of the Caribs — Their 
Discovery in the Islands — Supposed Origin— The Wacawoios— The 
Arawaks — Accounts of early Discoverers — Traditions of that Tribe 
—Of the Spaniards — Of their Contests with the Caribs — Struggles 
of Indians with the early Colonists, and with the revolted Negroes 
— Present Blessings. 

To trace the early history of the aboriginal tribes 
of America is a task of great difficulty. Though 
learned men have exercised then talents in laborious 
research, some degree of obscurity still rests upon 
the origin of those nations which were the most 
civilized, and have left the most durable monuments ; 
the Toltecs and Aztecs of the northern portion of 
that continent, and the once nourishing kingdom of 
Cusco in the south. 

And if this is the case with respect to the races 
who built "the teocallis of Cholula and ancient 
Mexico, and with those who raised the temples and 
formed the roads and hanging bridges of Pern, we 
cannot expect to learn much of the origin and early 
history of wild and wandering tribes, such as those 
who are to be found in Guiana.. 



ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF AMERICA. 



275 



It is impossible to say how long that extensive 
country has been inhabited — who were its earliest 
settlers — or from what quarter they came. It may 
have afforded subsistence to savage and wandering 
tribes fox thousands of years; or it may not have 
possessed a single inhabitant, till within a century 
or two of its discovery by Europeans. The whole 
continent of America seems to have been overspread 
by successive races from the north, who succeeded 
each other as wave follows wave, the weak giving 
place to the strong. And in Guiana, the most 
pleasant and fertile spots have, probably, changed 
masters more than once, as one horde of barbarians 
made room for another still more warlike and cruel. 
The settlement of Europeans on the banks of the 
Orinoco and Amazon, and their tributaries, during 
the last three centuries, may have increased the 
number of the tribes within our present colony, by 
causing others to take refuge where they could find 
a place free from the hated presence of the Spanish 
and Portuguese intruders, ana the descimentos with 
which they laid waste their villages. 1 

As these Indians had no written languages, nor 
means of recording past events, their early history 
can only be gathered from the accounts of those who 
first discovered them ; from their own imperfect tra- 
ditions ; from the investigation of their languages ; or 
an examination of their monumental relics. There is, 
perhaps, no country more destitute of the last than 

1 The descimentos are expeditions for the purpose of attacking the 
Indian villages, and reducing their inhabitants to slavery. 



276 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Guiana. A few engravings on a rock have been 
found some distance up the Essequibo, and described 
by travellers, but they are not considered to be of 
importance. 

The Macusis, at present the most numerous tribe in 
the interior, are supposed to have formerly inhabited 
the banks of the Orinoco. Sir R. Schoniburgk con- 
siders them to be the ancient Orenoque-poni, a tribe 
mentioned by Sir Walter Raleigh, with whom he had 
intercourse during his expedition up the Orinoco 
in 1595. Pona, in the Macusi language, signifies 
upon, on; and Raleigh tells us, that this nation called 
themselves by that name, because they bordered the 
great river Orenoque. 1 They probably retired at an 
early period to the territory which they now possess, 
as they were little fitted to withstand the encroach- 
ments of the Spanish. Being industrious and 
unwaiiike, they have been attacked by every savage 
tribe around them. The "Wapisianas are supposed 
to have driven them northward, and to have taken 
possession of part of then country. The Brazilians 
have long been in the habit of enslaving them, as 
well as the Caribs, Wacawoios, and other Indian 
tribes. They have been settled where they are at 
present found, one hundred years at least, and 
probably much longer. 

The Waraus are also an unwarlike though hardy 

1 " The names of several rivers, points, islands, and settlements 
along the Orinoco, are decidedly Macusi; and Raleigh in his discovery 
of Guiana, mentions the names of rivers, villages, and chieftains, which 
are of the same origin."— Schoniburgk's remarks on the Language* 
and Dialects of the Indian tribes inhabiting Guiana. 



THE WARAUS. 



277 



people, and probably in ancient times took up their 
abode on the muddy and uninviting shores of 
Guiana, in consequence of having been compelled by 
the fate of war to relinquish a more pleasant terri- 
tory. It is difficult to conceive how any people 
could have settled there by choice. 

The Tivitivas mentioned by Raleigh, were pro- 
bably a branch of the Warau nation. They are de- 
scribed by him as a hardy people, dwelling among 
the islands formed by the channels of the Orinoco, 
which, being low and flat, were exposed to frequent 
inundations. 

From the degraded condition of the Waraus, and 
then total want of national pride, there is little 
to be gleaned from them respecting their ancient 
history. They have lived in their present state for 
the last three centimes at least, and have always 
been despised by the other nations. They were 
frequently attacked by the Caribs and Wacawoios, 
who seem to have browbeaten and enslaved them 
almost at their pleasure. At present, however, a 
much better feeling prevails ; many Caribs in the 
Manawarin are intimate with the Waraus, and have 
even intermarried with them. 

We know more of the Caribi nation than of the 
others, and there is, perhaps, no race equally unci- 
vilized which has engaged more attention. This 
is owing, not only to their being the second race 
discovered in the New "World, but also to their fero- 
city and warlike spirit, and their widely extended 
ravages. 



278 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



The mild and hospitable people, discovered by 
Columbus in his first voyage in 149:2. then inhabited 
the Lucayo Islands, or Bahamas, together with the 
extensive islands of Cuba, Hayti. Jamaica.;': 
Rico. They probably possessed originally the whole 
of the islands, from Florida to the coast of Paria on 
the southern continent. Being mild and peaceful, 
they engaged in war with reluctance, and could 
scarcely maintain possession of the islands where they 
were most numerous and powerful. In Porto Pico 
and in Hayti, they were exposed to continual attacks 
from the Carihs. and a part of the latter island was 
under the power of Caonabo, a Caribi chief, when 
discovered by the Spaniards. 

In his second voyage, 1493. Cohmibus discovered 
the Caribi islands, so called from then inhabitants. 
This beautiful group of islands extends almost in a 
semicircle, from the eastern end of Porto Rico to the 
coast of South America. They are called by i 
the Antilles. 

The appearance and habits of the Caribs then 
discovered, correspond with those of that tribe 
afterwards found in Guiana. While cruising among 
the islands, then discoverer had many proofs of the 
spirit of this people. He found that they went on 
predatory expeditions in their canoes, to the distance 
of 150 leagues. Their arms were clubs, with bows 
and arrows, pointed with the bones of fishes, and 
poisoned. They attacked the other islands and the 
mainland ; earned off the women as slaves or com- 
panions, and made prisoners of the men to be killed 



THE CARIES. 



279 



and eaten. With all their ferocity they paid con- 
siderable attention to agriculture, and brought home 
with them valuable plants and seeds from the coun- 
tries which they overran. 

The Spaniards had evidence of the cannibalism of 
this savage race. They found at Turuqueira, or 
Guadaloupe, human limbs suspended to the beams 
of the houses ; and the head of a young man re- 
cently killed, some parts of whose body were roast- 
ing before the fire, and others boiling with the flesh 
of geese and parrots. 1 

They had soon after proof of the courage and 
ferocity of the Caribs at the island of Ayay, or 
Santa Cruz. A canoe came round the island and 
approached the ships. The Caribs in it were so 
amazed at beholding them, that they allowed their 
retreat to be cut off by a Spanish bark, with twenty- 
five men. When they at length perceived this, they 
attacked them with undaunted coinage, discharging 
their arrows with amazing force and rapidity. The 
women in the canoe fought as well as the men, and 
one of them sent an arrow completely through 
a Spanish buckler. Their canoe being overturned, 
some got upon sunken rocks, and others used their 
bows with great dexterity while swimming in the 
sea ; nor was it without great difficulty that they 
could be overpowered and taken. 2 

The hair of these savages was coarse and long, 

1 Irving's Life of Columbus, book vi. chap. 2. 

2 Eobertson's Hist, of America, note 95. Irving's Columbus, book 
vi. chap. 3. 



280 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



their eyes were encircled with paint, so as to give 
them a hideous expression ; and bands of cotton 
were bound tightly round their limbs, causing them 
to swell to a disproportionate size. This description 
would apply, almost as well, to the Caribs inhabit- 
ing Guiana, who have been equally accused of canni- 
balism, — whose ferocity has been noted, — who still 
paint their faces and bodies, — and whose women 
continue to wear the " sapuru," or bands of cotton 
tightly fixed on their limbs. 

These enterprising and barbarous islanders had a 
tradition, that their ancestors came originally from 
some part of the continent, and having conquered 
and exterminated the original inhabitants of those 
islands, had taken possession of their lands and of 
their women. They are said to have had a particu- 
lar connexion with Guiana, so close indeed that they 
imagined themselves to have come from thence. 1 

Notwithstanding this idea of the Caribs them- 
selves, it is generally supposed that they originally 
came from the northern continent. 2 An eminent 
writer thus speaks of them : — 

u The traditional accounts of their origin, though 
of course extremely vague, yet are capable of being 
verified to a great degree by geographical facts, and 
open one of the rich veins of curious inquiry and 
speculation which abound in the New World. They 
are said to have migrated from the remote valleys 
embosomed in the Apalachian mountains. The 

1 Baynai's Hist, of the Indies, hook x. p. 27. Uochefort, 348, 

2 Bobertson, note 96, 



SUPPOSED ORIGIN OF THE CARIES. 



281 



earliest accounts we have of them represent them 
with weapons in their hands, continually engaged in 
wars, winning their way and shifting their abode, 
until in the course of time they found themselves 
at the extremity of Florida. Here, abandoning the 
northern continent, they passed over to the Lu- 
cayos, 1 and thence gradually, in process of years, 
from island to island of that vast and verdant chain 
which links, as it were, the end of Florida to the 
coast of Paria on the southern continent. The 
archipelago extending from Porto Rico to Tobago, 
was their stronghold, and the island of Guadaloupe, 
in a manner, their citadel. Hence they made their 
expeditions, and spread the terror of their name 
through all the surrounding countries. Swarms of 
them landed upon the southern continent, and over- 
ran some parts of terra firma. Traces of them have 
been discovered far in the interior of that vast 
country through which flows the Orinoco. The 
Dutch found colonies of them on the banks of the 
Ikouteka, which empties into the Surinam, along 
the Esquibi, the Maroni, and other rivers of Gui- 
ana, and in the country watered by the windings 
of the Cayenne ; and it would appear that they 
extended their wanderings to the shores of the 
southern ocean, where, among the aboriginals of 
Brazil, were some who called themselves Caribs, 

1 They do not appear to have permanently settled in the Lucayos, 
as those islands were inhahited by a race speaking the language of 
Cuba and Hayti when first discovered. The men used as interpreters 
by Columbus in the other islands were taken from thence. 



282 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



distinguished from the surrounding Indians by their 
superior hardihood, subtlety and enterprise.'" 1 

If this account of their origin be correct, the 
Wacawoios, whose language points them but as 
descended from the same parent stock as the Caribs, 
are probably a colony who at a more early period 
passed through the islands, and overran Guiana, 
The variety which subsists in their language may 
easily be accounted for, not only by difference of 
locality, but also by the gradual admission of other 
words, by their taking as wives the women of 
conquered tribes on the mainland. From the 
same cause, probably, arose a gradual change of 
character, their reputed treachery and habits of 
poisoning, which contrast strongly with the more 
open character of the Caribs, who mingled with the 
original island race. 2 

The Caribs in the islands were gradually exter- 
minated by the Europeans who chose to settle there. 
As they had expelled the aboriginal Indians, so now 
they were themselves expelled by a race, against 
whom their wild bravery was of little service. The 

1 Washington Irving's Life of Columbus, book vi. chap. 3. The 
opinion that the tribes of Guiana, known as Caribs and Wacawoios. 
are the former inhabitants of the Lower Antilles, is held by Sir 
R. Schomburgk, who also considers that we are to look for the origin 
of these races to ELorida, Texas, and the eastern foot of the Rocky 
Mountains. 

2 From the union of the Caribs with the women of the conquered 
islanders, arose a distinction of dialect between the two sexes in the 
Caribi Islands. " The language of the men had nothing common with 
that spoken in the large islands. The dialect of the women consider- 
ably resembled it." — Labat. 129. Robertson, note 96. 



THE ARAWAKS. 



283 



bow and arrow were no match for the musket, nor 
the war-club for the sword. At St. Christopher's, in 
162-5, two thousand Caribs perished in battle, whilst 
their European invaders lost one hundred men. 1 
In the other islands their losses were equally great. 
These calamities would cause a migration of the 
natives when they found it useless to fight any more. 
Some of the islands, as Martinico, were suddenly 
abandoned by them, after a fierce but unavailing 
struggle. 2 

Those of the Caribs who chose to forsake the 
islands entirely, would naturally take refuge with 
their brethren already settled in Guiana, and by 
their valour secure to themselves such portions of 
the country as they might think proper to occupy ; 
as few tribes would be able, or indeed dare, to 
oppose them. 

A remnant of the Caribs still remained at St. Vin- 
cent, and they were transported about the end of 
the last century to the island of Ruattan in the bay 
of Honduras. 3 

The Arawaks next claim attention. They were 
a maritime tribe ; occupying, when first discovered, 
the country about the mouths of the Orinoco, and 
extending far along the coast to the eastward of that 
river, where they are at present found. 

The third voyage of Columbus, in 1498, brought 
him to the coast of the southern continent. He 

1 Martin's West Indies, p. 368. 

2 Abbe Raynal, book xiii. 

3 Martin's West Indies, p. 285. 



284 



BEITISH GUIANA. 



first discovered the island of Trinidad, and sailed 
along its southern shore, until he arrived at the 
mainland, and cast anchor before the narrow strait 
which divides it from that island, near one of the 
mouths of the Orinoco. 

Hitherto he had seen nothing of the natives ; but 
a canoe with twenty-five men now approached from 
the shore, who rested on their paddles at some 
distance, and hailed the ships. They were all young 
men, well formed, and naked, except bands and 
fillets of cotton about their heads, and cloths of the 
same about their loins. Their arms were bows and 
arrows, the latter feathered, and pointed with bone. 
They had also bucklers, which had not hitherto been 
seen among the natives of the New World \ but which 
seem to have been in use among the tribes inhabit- 
ing this part of the continent. 

The admiral, wishing to attract them, made his 
ship-boys dance on deck, while the men sang to the 
sound of the tabor. But this had quite the contrary 
effect, for the Indians mistook it for the war-dance, 
and seizing their bows and bucklers, discharged 
a flight of arrows ; and this being answered by the 
Spanish cross-bows, they took to flight. 

Notwithstanding this repulse, they readily ap- 
proached a smaller ship, and running under the 
stern, entered into a parley with the pilot, who 
made their chieftain a present of a cap and mantle. 
Being delighted with these, he invited the Spaniard 
to accompany him to land, giving him to understand 
that he should be well entertained and receive large 



THE ARAWAKS. 



285 



presents in return. But when the pilot went in 
his boat to ask the admiral's permission, the Indians, 
fearing treachery, darted off in their canoe, and were 
no more seen. 

The following circumstance, mentioned by Raleigh, 
probably occurred at this interview. Speaking of 
the mistakes which are made respecting the names 
of hitherto unknown regions, from the ignorance of 
their discoverers of the language of those with whom 
they communicate, he says, " The same happened to 
the Spaniard in asking the name of the island Trini- 
dado ; for a Spaniard demanding the name of that 
self place which the sea encompassed, they answered 
'Caen/ which signifieth an island." 1 As the word 
" Caeri," or " Kaieri," in the language of the Arawaks, 
signifies an island, it was probably with that nation 
that Europeans first held intercourse on the shores 
of the southern continent of America. This is also 
confirmed by the locality, as the interview took 
place nearly opposite one of the mouths of the 
Orinoco. 

No further communication with the natives took 
place, until the ships had passed through the formid- 
able strait, and entered the Gulf of Paria. They 
then had intercourse with the people, who resembled 
in dress and appearance the party first met at the 
mouth of the Gulf. They w^ere intelligent, frank, 
and affable in their manners, and treated their visitors 
most hospitably. They were armed with bows, 
arrows, and bucklers, and the men wore cotton cloths 
1 Raleigh's History of the World, took i. chap. 8. sect. 15. 



286 BRITISH GUIANA. 

about their heads and loins, and collars and bur- 
nished plates about their necks of an inferior kind 
of gold. The females were unclothed, but wore 
necklaces and bracelets of valuable pearls, which 
were brought from the northern coast of Paria. 
These they readily exchanged for hawk's-bells or 
any article of brass, which they seemed to value 
highly, smelling it and using the word " Turey," 
which then visitors considered to mean " come from 
the skies." Though the Spaniards could not under- 
stand their language, yet it probably bore considerable 
resemblance to that of Hayti and the larger West 
Indian islands, as the same word " Turey" was 
always used by the people of the latter, when they 
received anything which called forth their wonder 
and admiration, and which they considered to have 
come from heaven. It is probable that the people 
of these islands and those of the continent were 
intimately connected, before the Caribs gained pos- 
session of the smaller islands lying between them. 
Perhaps they were both branches of one parent 
stock. 1 The inhabitants of the mainland possessed 

1 The language of the Loko, or Arawak tribe, seems to possess 
considerable affinity to that spoken by the aborigines of the Lucayo 
and other islands. The few words of the latter whose meanings are 
given in the works of English authors, will show this resemblance. 

The word ciba, in the language of Hayti, signified a certain " stone." 
(Irving's Columbus, book vi. ch. 5.) Cibao, which was the name of a 
rocky district in that island, is said also to signify a " stone," and is 
evidently derived from the other. The Arawaks call a stone siba, and 
have given that name to a well-known rocky place on the banks of 
the Demerara. 

Bohio was the word used by the people of Cuba, to express the popu- 
lousness of Hayti. (Book iv. ch. 4.) It has been said to mean a 
"house." ("cottages" according to some.) It seems to be identical 



THE ARAWAKS. 



287 



canoes capable of accomplishing distant voyages, 
which had cabins in the centre for the accommoda- 

with the Arawak phrase bohio or bohyo, a common abbreviation of 
bawhu-yuho, " house many," a term always used to denote a place 
where there are many human habitations. 

By the word Ctibanacan was designated a province in the centre of 
Cuba, 'nacau, in their language, signifying " the midst." (Book iv. 
ch. 3.) The Arawaks use the word anaca u in a similar sense; 
anaka bo n signifying " in the midst." 

Agi. This was the name of the pepper of the Indians, which the 
Spaniards learned from the people of Hayti to use as an important 
article of food. (Book v. ch. 2.) The Arawaks call pepper aci or acid. 

The guana was first discovered in the islands, and so called by the 
natives. The Arawaks usually call it yuana. 

The islanders believed in the Supreme Being, but like the Indians of 
Guiana, addressed themselves to iuferior deities. These they called 
Cemi or Zemi, and the priest who consulted them was called butio. 
To this last title I have been unable to discover any resemblance in 
the language of the Arawaks, but the word semi-cici, by which they 
call their sorcerers, seems to be derived from the cemi or zemi of the 
islanders. In many points their character and office exactly corre- 
spond ; as may be seen from the following account of the priests or 
sorcerers of Hayti : — 

" They practised rigorous fasts and ablutions, and inhaled the powder 
or drank the infusion of a certain herb, which produced a temporary 
intoxication or delirium. In the course of this process, they professed 
to have trances and visions, and that the zemi revealed to them future 
events, or instructed them in the treatment of maladies. They were in 
general great herbalists, and well acquainted with the medicinal pro- 
perties of trees and vegetables. They cured diseases by their know- 
ledge of simples, but always with many mysterious rites and ceremonies 
and supposed charms, chanting and burning a light in the chamber of 
the patient, and pretending to exorcise the malady, to expel it from the 
mansion, and to send it to the sea or to the mountain." — Irving's 
Columbus, book vi. ch. 10. Oviedo. Cronic. lib. v. cap. 1. 

There are also other words in which more or less resemblance may 
be traced between the dialect of those islanders and that of the Arawaks 
of Guiana. 

The word Mama <c two" used by the Caribs in Dominica, was probably 
a relic of the language of the original inhabitants of that island, pre- 
served by the women taken as wives by the Caribs after their conquest. 
It is also a pure Arawak word. 



288 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



tion of their chiefs and their families ; and those of 
the islands were not behind them in this respect, as 
we learn from the account of the canoes found at 
J amaica, which were of great size, and ornamented 
with carving and painting. One of them which was 
measured, was ninety-six feet long and eight broad, 
though hollowed out of a single tree. 

The Arawaks seem to have been, at an early 
period, numerous and powerful. They have been 
called by some a nation of Caribs, 1 but they are of 
a different race, possessing a totally distinct language, 
as has been already shown. 

As they dwelt on the north-eastern coast of the 
southern continent, the Caribs from the islands con- 
tinually attacked them. Those of Tobago, being 
near the mainland, were particularly troublesome. 
After a long and desperate struggle, 2 the Caribs were 
beaten, and finally obliged to leave that island to 
avoid the pursuit of the Arawaks. They withdrew 
to St. Vincent's and the neighbouring islands, 3 from 
whence expeditions against the mainland continu- 
ally issued, which called at Tobago to refresh them- 
selves on their way. 4 

Sir Walter Raleigh, in the account of his expedition 
to Guiana in 1595, mentions his meeting with some 
Arawaks in the Amana, at the mouth of the Orinoco, 
and that he was guided by them to the main river. 

1 Martin's West Indies, p. 257. 

2 Ray rial's Hist, of the Indies, book xiv. 

3 Martin's West Indies, p. 257. 

4 Ibid, p 258. 



TRADITIONS OF THE ARAWAKS. 289 

He speaks of the intercourse between them and the 
English, as being of a friendly and virtuous cha- 
racter. Those whom he met appear to have been 
already reduced by the Spaniards to a state of 
vassalage ; and it is probable, that as the latter 
race began to settle on the banks of that river, most 
of the Arawaks went eastward, to avoid a nation of 
whom those in British Guiana speak in terms of 
great dislike and animosity, and of whose oppressive 
cruelty they entertain a strong remembrance. 

They were found settled on the shores of our 
present colony, by Harcourt and other English cap- 
tains, in the beginning of the seventeenth century. 

The Arawaks, being intelligent, and possessing a 
strong national feeling, have preserved several 
traditions of events which must have happened 
about this time. These chiefly relate to conflicts 
which took place between their tribe and its various 
enemies. 

They have an indistinct idea of cruelties perpe- 
trated by the Spaniards. Tradition has preserved 
the remembrance of white men clothed with " sepe- 
rari " or iron, who drove their fathers before them, 
and, as some say, hunted them with dogs through 
the forest. 

But by far the greater number of their traditions 
relate to engagements between themselves and the 
Caribs on the main land. Various places are pointed 
out as the spots where these occurred. They seem 
to have suffered much. The head of the river 
Arapiaco is said to have been the scene of a horrid 

u 



290 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



masssacre. on one occasion, when the Caribs rose in 
arms with a design to exterminate their tribe, 
together with the Waraus. Civilized nations take 
more pleasure in the remembrance of their victories 
than in recording their defeats, and this natural 
feeling is fully shared by the Indian. Accordingly, 
the circumstances of a victory which they obtained, 
and which seems to have checked the progress of 
their unrelenting foes, are still remembered among 
the Arawaks to the west of Essequibo. 

It is said to have occurred in the swampy district 
near the Waini, whither the Arawaks had retreated 
from various parts of the country. Expecting to be 
followed by the Caribs, they placed themselves 
under the command of a chief, who seems to have 
been a man of experience and skill. 

This leader placed his men in ambush among the 
islands of a lake or savannah, on each side of a 
narrow winding channel, through which the invading 
party must of necessity pass. He there stationed a 
line of watchmen, who were to communicate by 
signals to each other the tidings of their approach, 
so that his warriors might be ready to receive them. 

The Caribs are said to have had a great number 
of canoes of large size, which followed each other in 
line through the mazy channels of the savannah. 
As they rounded a certain island, their painted 
warriors in the first canoe were transfixed by a 
shower of arrows from an unseen enemy on both 
sides of them, and totally disabled. Those in the 
second canoe shared the same fate \ the others, who 



CONTESTS WITH THE CARIBS. 



291 



could not see what had happened, hurried forward 
to ascertain the cause of the cries, but each canoe, as 
it arrived at the fatal spot, was saluted by a deadly 
shower of arrows. The Arawaks then rushed for- 
ward and fought till the victory was completed. 

It is said that only two Caribs survived, whose 
lives were spared, and they were dismissed by the 
Arawak chieftain, on promise of a ransom to be 
paid in cotton hammocks, for the manufacture of 
which their nation is noted. They were also desired 
" to assemble their countrymen who remained, and 
if they were still desirous of war, to bring them on 
a similar expedition, that they might share the same 
fate." 

The chief of the Pomeroon Arawaks told me, 
that the spot where the bodies of the slain were 
interred by the victors is still marked by the traces 
of three mounds, which were pointed out to him 
when a boy. 1 

These sanguinary contests probably took place 
before Europeans settled in their country in any 
great numbers. The presence of such formidable 
intruders would naturally give the Caribs and others 
full occupation in endeavouring to drive them out. 
The Caribs actually drove the English from their 

1 The circumstances of this tradition have been related to me with 
some unimportant variations, by different individuals. The first of 
these was a woman from that part of the country, an intelligent per- 
son, who had lived in an English family when young, and spoke our 
language well. She was also mistress of the Warau tongue, and when 
I first saw her, was sitting by the dead body of a TTarau man, chanting* 
with melancholy cadence an address to the departed spirit. 



292 



BRITISH GUI AX A. 



first settlements, and the French, who followed in 
1640, shared the same fate. 

The Dutch obtained a firmer footing, but were 
continually harassed, until a peace was made about 
1686, by Sonielsdyk, Governor of Surinam, with all 
the Indian tribes, who in the course of time became 
the allies of the colonists, and received annual 
presents from them. 

A new enemy then arose. The number of negroes, 
who in the course of the next century escaped to the 
forests, kept both colonists and Indians in alarm, 
and gave them full occupation. Even when the 
colonists had made peace with the revolted negroes 
on the Seramica 1 and others, acknowledged their 
independence-, and engaged their services, by annual 
presents, to prevent others from joining them, there 
still remained a feeling of enmity between the red 
man and the black, leading to frequent collision and 
bloodshed. 

The accounts which the Arawaks have received 
from their ancestors, represent these negroes as 
equally ferocious with the Caribs, and more to be 
dreaded on account of their superior bodily strength. 
An old Arawak once told me of a fearful nation, 
whom he called Maruno, who dwelt to the eastward, 
who were black in colour, and the natural enemies 
of the Indians, though living in the forests and 
following the same way of life. These were of course 
the Maroon negroes of Berbice and Surinam. From 
his description it would appear, that they had been 

1 1749. Stednian, ch. iii. 



STRUGGLES WITH THE EARLY COLONISTS. 293 

guilty of great barbarity, mangling the bodies of their 
slain enemies, and even tearing them to pieces ; 
a fact which is also attested by those white men 
who were engaged in the wars against them. 1 

The alliance of the Indians with the colonists 
was of great service to the latter. 2 On great emer- 
gencies, the Caribs were summoned from the interior, 
while, on ordinary occasions, the Arawaks who resided 
nearer the plantations were ready to assist, as has 
been before related. But this intercourse was ruin- 
ous to the Arawaks and the others. They were de- 
based by the use of ardent spirits, and their manners 
contaminated by the vices of civilized men, while 
the great antidote to the moral poison, the Christian 
religion, was withheld from them. In the insurrec- 
tion of 1823, the Indians were called out to assist 
the colonists, but I am not aware that any use was 
then mnde of them, or that they have been employed 
since. 

It is painful to look upon this sketch of the 
history of the Indian tribes of Guiana. A cloud 
hangs over their origin. They then appear before 
us in the sixteenth century \ the Caribi and other 
ferocious tribes attacking, and the others defending 
themselves as well as they were able, while the 
practice of enslaving each other seems to have 
generally prevailed. 

In the course of the next century they were 
•engaged in resisting the encroachments of a fairer 
1 Stedman, ch. xx. p. 106. 2 Bancroft, p. 373. 



294 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and stronger race, which arrived from various coun- 
tries of Europe with more destructive weapons. 

In the eighteenth century, the coast tribes seem 
to have been generally at peace with each other, but 
we find the Arawak and Caribi Indian frequently 
engaged by the side of the white man in deadly 
contest with the negro. All this time they were in 
heathen darkness. 

The last few years of the present century, more 
highly blessed than those which have gone before, 
have seen those various conflicting races united in 
peace. The Arawak, the Carib, the Warau, the 
Wacawoio, and the Macusi, with the white man and 
the black, have met together in the same house of 
prayer, listening to the Gospel of our Lord Jesns 
Christ. 

" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, good will toward men." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE REMAINING HEATHEN TRIBES. 

Diminution of the numbers of the Indian Tribes. — Their Probable 
Fate. — Their Readiness to embrace the Religion of Christ. — En- 
couragement to extend the Sphere of Labour — Suggestions — 
Heathen Tribes enumerated by Sir R. Schomburgk — Possible 
Benefit which they might derive in course of years from the Con- 
version of the Macusis. 

Since the appearance of Europeans in their land, 
the Indian tribes have constantly diminished in 
numbers. In Guiana, as in other parts of the 
western world, it has been found, that as civilized 
man has spread, the aboriginal tribes have dwindled 
away. It has been said of them with truth, " Their 
forlorn situation engages all our sympathy ; their 
present history is the finale of a tragical drama ; a 
whole race of men is wasting away." 1 

We have described their present state, and traced 
some portion of their past history. Their future 
lot is known to God alone. The work of evangeliz- 
ing them has evidently been committed to us ; and, 
(humanly speaking,) their fate may depend on the 
manner in which we shall carry it out. It may rest 

1 Schomburgk's Description of British Guiana, p. 51. 



296 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



with us , whether these tribes shall expire one after 
another, in cold and gloomy heathenism j or whether 
the end of their existence, as separate nations, shall 
be illumined and cheered by the bright rays of the 
Sun of Righteousness, and their various races become 
united at our Missions, acquire the English language 
as their common medium of communication, and 
gradually forget their ancient distinctions in the 
common name of Christian. 

Why should they exist in spiritual darkness, while 
we have the means of enlightening their souls, and 
ameliorating their earthly condition, by giving them 
the comforts of the Christian religion in this life, 
and the sweet hope of immortal happiness in the life 
to come ? Is the painted Indian hunter more inca- 
pable of elevation, or more difficult to convert, than 
the race of men, who, at the period of the redemp- 
tion, wandered amid the forests of our own fair 
island ? whose scanty attire, composed of the skins 
of beasts, hung loosely upon bodies which were 
painted dark blue or green in various figures, that 
they might appear more frightful in battle ? There 
is nothing in the appearance of the Indian more 
barbarous than was exhibited in that of the ancient, 
Briton \ nor is there anything in their worst super- 
stitions that can compare with the ferocious cruelty 
of the Druids. 

Experience has shown that in Guiana the fields 
are white already to harvest. Amidst discourage- 
ments of a serious nature, some of which have been 
detailed, the Indians have improved in civilization 



OTHER HEATHEN TRIBES. 



297 



wherever a Mission has been planted among them ; 
and not a few have shown signs of the effect of the 
Gospel on their hearts and minds. When we look 
back and see what has been done within a few years, 
we should "thank God and take courage" to perse- 
vere with the work. 

To make the work of propagating the Gospel 
general among the tribes which have been already 
drawn in part within its influence, a Mission is 
necessary in every district where the civil govern- 
ment has established an Indian post. The Indians of 
the Demerara, Berbice, and Corentyn rivers, would 
thus be provided for, as well as those of the river 
and colony of Essequibo. 

A well supported Mission, with at least two Mis- 
sionaries, is necessary for the Macusi tribe in the 
interior ; a site being selected in our undisputed 
territory. Their numbers, which have been esti- 
mated at 3,000, might, by God's blessing, afford an 
abundant harvest, and would offer a means of com- 
munication with other more distant tribes, and pro- 
bably extend the influence of the Gospel beyond the 
frontier. 

This seems the only method of reaching those 
wild and barbarous hordes, which have been but 
lately brought before the public notice by the exer- 
tions of that intelligent traveller, Sir R. Schomburgk, 
from whose works the following brief account is 
derived. 

The Arecunas resemble the Macusis in language, 
but not in features and character. They inhabit the 



298 



BRITISH GUIAXA. 



high table-land, from among which the mountain 
Roraima rises 8,000 feet above the sea. The histo- 
rians Montiero and Ribiero describe them as can- 
nibals, and that they perforate their ears, in which 
they wear bundles of haulms of grass ; and that 
they use quippos, or knotted strings, like the Peru- 
vians, by which they communicate not only numbers, 
but likewise sentences to each 'other. They still 
wear the ornaments alluded to in their ears, and use 
the quippos, but are no longer cannibals. 

The Zaparas have arisen from the intermarriages 
of the Macusis and Arecunas. They are about three 
hundred in number. 

The Soerikongs are a tribe which have sprung 
from the intermarriages of the Arecunas with the 
Wacawoios. They are, like the latter, a predatory 
tribe, frequently committing depredations on the 
Macusis. They are likewise accused of being Kanai- 
mas, or night murderers, and slow poisoners. They 
threatened to attack the expedition commanded by 
the learned traveller before mentioned in 1835, and 
had formed a camp for the purpose, but afterwards 
abandoned it, and allowed the expedition to pass 
unmolested. 

The Woyawais are a distant tribe, inhabiting the 
mountains near the sources of the Essequibo. They 
are thought not to exceed three hundred in number. 
They are great hunters, and famed for their dogs, 
with which they carry on a traffic with other tribes. 
They are filthily duty in their habits. 

The languages of all these tribes, and of some 



OTHER HEATHEN TRIBES. 



299 



others not within our boundaries, have more or less 
affinity to that of the Macusis. 

There are several others within the British colony, 
whose languages are quite distinct. 

The most powerful of these are the Wapisianas, 
whose whole number may amount to eight hundred, 
one half being within our territory. They are more 
athletic and darker in colour than the Macusis. 
Their females are often good-looking, and stain and 
puncture the skin round the mouth in an elliptical 
form. Their language is very peculiar, and stands 
isolated among those of the tribes of Guiana. 

The Atorais are now nearly extinct. Including a 
sister-tribe, the Tauris or Dauris, w T hich formerly 
dwelt apart in the forests, but have now united with 
them, the Atorais do not exceed one hundred per- 
sons. They appear to be the only tribe in Guiana 
who place their dead on a funeral pile and burn 
them. Their language differs materially from that 
of the Wapisianas and other tribes. 

The Tarumas formerly lived near the mouth of 
the Eio Negro. The Carmelites had a Mission 
among them as early as 1670. Disagreeing with 
other tribes, and being ill used by the Portuguese, 
a portion of them fled northward, and settled near 
the head waters of the Essequibo. Death made 
such ravages among those who remained, that the 
tribe was considered extinct. Mahanarva, the well- 
known Caribi chief, brought the first information of 
their existence to Demerara, but his account was so 
exaggerated that they were described as amphibious, 



300 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



and taking shelter in caverns under water. They 
are about four hundred in number, and their 
language differs from that of the other Indians of 
Guiana. 

Beside these tribes residing within the boundary 
claimed by Great Britain, there are others dwelling 
near the borders, who might in the course of years 
become Christianised. Some of these are accustomed 
to visit the Macusis for the purpose of traffic, as the 
Maiongkongs, and the Gcixaus. who manufacture 
the blow-pipes, which they exchange for the Worali 
poison, which the Macusis know best how to 
prepare. 

Other tribes are fierce and dangerous, as the 
Pianoghottos, who reside near the head of the 
Corentyn, and are so averse to intercourse with 
civilized persons that they have defeated, and in 
some instances murdered, the crews of expeditions 
sent from the Amazonas to explore their territory. 
The Zaeamatas and the Deios do not differ much 
from this tribe either in language or appearance, 
except that the Drios tattoo their skins all over. 

There are also other tribes, some of which are now 
almost extinct, as the Maopityaits, who, when visited 
by Sir R. Schomburgk in 1843, had dwindled to 
thirty-nine individuals. A single hut on the left 
bank of the upper Caphiwuin sheltered the whole 
nation. The A^iaeipas have entirely perished : in 
1843 a single old woman was the only remnant of 
this tribe. 

Thus throughout Guiana remnants of ancient 



CONCLUSION. 



301 



nations are found, withering here and there, like 
the dry bones which were seen in the vision of the 
prophet. To man it seems next to impossible that 
they should be ever raised to spiritual life. And so 
indeed it is. But He with whom all things are 
possible can do greater things than this. If it seem 
good in His sight, He can cause the breath of His 
life-giving word to enter into them, that they may 
live ; and by His Spirit form from these dry frag- 
ments a portion of the Church of his Son, our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

" Son of Man, Can these bones live ? Lord 
God, Thou knowest ! " 



THE END. 



LONLON : 

a. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL. 



JUL 8 1909 



